All results / Stories / Del. Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum
Much Remains To Be Done
The good old days were never as good as we sometimes make them out to have been.
Footprints on the Sands of Time
Maybe it’s the contemplations of my impending retirement or maybe it is because of the richness of the life I have been privileged to live that I have become more aware of and more impressed by the women and men I meet in my community and in the political arena.
Early Education Pays Off
Of the many educational programs that have been funded by all levels of government and the private sector, none have had as many positive, continuing impacts on participants as expenditures on early childhood education. There is a huge body of research proving the point.
No Miracle in Virginia Student Test Scores
There was more than a week delay in announcing Virginia student test scores this year. Last week we learned why.
Budgets Set Policy Directions
“I predict [the conference committee compromise] will be accepted as the best compromise that can be reached at this time.”
The First To Blink
The Virginia General Assembly adjourned sine die back in June of this year when the work of the legislature was complete with one notable exception: a mid-point revision of the biennium budget on which the House, Senate, and Governor could not agree had gone to a conference committee that could not agree on its final form.
Reinventing American Democracy
The 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of the United States is fast approaching. We can celebrate being the oldest constitutional democracy in the world. Our form of government, however, is under undue stresses that cause many to worry as to whether we can show the same resiliency of the past going forward in the next century.
Politicizing Education
As a former teacher/education program administrator for 30 years I am aware of the many wonderful, effective, and dedicated teachers there are, including two of my children and one of my grandchildren and his wife. The current effort to politicize education for personal gain saddens me.
Inalienable Rights
Virginian Thomas Jefferson was a young man when he penned the words expressed among political philosophers of the time that there were natural rights “endowed by their creator” that all persons possess. His phrase in the Declaration of Independence that preceded that assertion, “all men are created equal,” gained the most notice and debate even until today.
Retiring But Not Quitting
The most common question I get these days is “how does it feel to be retired?”
Obligation of Citizenship: To Be Informed
Commentary
Honest Funding of Our Schools
Commentary
Rights Bring Obligations
Virginia Code Section 22.1-201 states ”To increase knowledge of citizens' rights and responsibilities thereunder and to enhance the understanding of Virginia's unique role in the history of the United States, the Declaration of American Independence, the general principles of the Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights, the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, the charters of the Virginia Company of April 10, 1606, May 23, 1609, and March 12, 1612, and the Virginia Declaration of Rights shall be thoroughly explained and taught by teachers to pupils in public elementary, middle, and high schools.”
Broadening Internal Threat to Our Democracy
Commentary
Not Over Until It Is Over
Commentary
Saving Our Planet
Saving Our Planet
Steps to Succession
Steps to Succession
Not Yet Enough
Gun violence is now the leading killer of children.
Gun violence is now the leading killer of children.
Equity Out—Opportunity In?
Equity Out—Opportunity In?
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