Turn your television on in the next week and you're liable to find out, over and over again, as the Democratic nominee for mayor kicks off his air war for the hearts and minds of voting Philadelphians.

In contrast to Republican nominee Sam Katz, who has been on the air for weeks with ads touting his credentials and values, Street hasn't been seen in an advertisement since the May primary.

But, starting last night, Street can be seen in a classroom telling a group of young adolescents, "What I have learned is that in a great big diverse city like the City of Philadelphia, people want fundamentally the same thing -- good schools in safe neighborhoods, a decent place to live and a decent job."

For emphasis, Street fixes soft warm brown eyes upon the kids and confides, "And that's what we want for you in this city. That's what we want." A few sweet piano notes follow, and that's it.

(Note to Street's producers: on the tape given to the Daily News, Street's squeaky shoes can be heard loud and clear).

Ray Jones, Street's campaign spokesman, summed it up as "our touchy-feely ad."

And it does indeed present Street as a wise uncle offering a sincere message.

Jones declined to say how much the ad cost or how frequently it will run, other than to say it would "saturate" the market.

But he said it's the first in a series that will lay out the candidate's pitch to voters.

The themes are all touched in just 30 seconds -- Street's experience, good schools, safe neighborhoods and jobs -- but it's significant that education is Street's first message, suggesting that Street's pollsters have concluded public schools are high on voters' list of concerns.

"He's pro-education and he's not a fan of vouchers," Jones said. "You'll see him focusing on a vision of improving our neighborhoods. And that's a clear distinction with Mr. Katz."

Last Tuesday, Street offered a strategy to break the deadlock between the city school system and the Republican-controlled state government, suggesting that the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, a state watchdog agency that helped the city rid itself of a growing deficit in 1992, could play a similar role with the city School District.

In exchange for such direct oversight as would be worked out by city and state officials, Street said he hoped the state would provide added funding for public schools.

And though he opposes vouchers, Street earlier in the week clearly signaled his willingness to accept some kind of voucher plan if it meant more dollars for the city schools.

With new dollars, Street wants more preschool support for children, smaller classes in the early grades, increased school safety through wider use of metal detectors and more technology.