"We've got to fix our schools. Look, our kids can't have a great future unless our schools are competitive. It's time for us to put the kids, the parents and the teachers first, and the teachers' union behind."

Beyond a moment of silence for those killed in the Libyan consulate attack, Romney left  behind the debate over foreign policy to focus on economic issues, including the deficit, job training and a call to increase oil and gas drilling in Ohio.

This is Mitt Romney’s third visit to Ohio since the GOP convention, and comes at a time when polls show President Obama with a small but steady lead here.