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A private graveside service will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2020, at St. Alphonsus Cemetery in Maurice for Kenneth Anthony Dupuy, 82, who passed away at his home on April 20, 2020, after a lengthy illness.
Reverend Paul Bienvenu, Pastor of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, will serve as officiate.
Kenneth Dupuy, more affectionately known to his loved ones and friends as “Ken”, “Dad”, “Gramps”, “Paw”, and “Parrain Ken” took his last labored breath at 4:55 AM on April 20, 2020. Kenneth was born in Houston, Texas on April 17, 1938. He was the son of Homer Joseph Dupuy, Sr. and the former Noemie Dugas. On June 9, 1960, Kenneth married Velores Breaux. They had two children and were married 59 years.
Kenneth graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Houston, Texas in 1956. After high school, he joined the Army and was stationed in Germany and acted as a translator. Ken then began to pursue a career in child psychology. He attended USL in Lafayette, LA for four years and went on to complete his formal education at LSU in Baton Rouge, LA. Upon completing college, Kenneth worked as a child psychologist for the State of Louisiana in Alexandria and then returned home to Maurice and completed his career working at Crowley Mental Health Clinic.
Over the years, Kenneth immersed himself in several hobbies. He collected antique bottles, as well as unusual business cards. He became an historian and did in-depth research into the history of Abbeville. Taking the knowledge he acquired from this research, Kenneth then became an author and published a very well-written book entitled, “Journeys into the Past”.
Ken had a “Heart of Gold” and a “Joie de Vivre”. He had a kindness and compassion for others that knew no bounds. His love for family and friends was easy to witness in the way his face lit up when they were around, and Ken had a wonderful love and passion for the beauty of nature, which was reflected in his written observations that will be cherished by his loved ones for years to come. His chair at the Table of Life is empty now, but a more wondrous seat in Heaven awaits him, where he will once again be reunited with loved ones from the past…and Oh! What a celebration that will be! He will forever be remembered, loved and missed.
Kenneth is survived by his wife, Velores Dupuy; his daughter, Lynette Dupuy Frederick and husband, James Frederick; his son, Carl Dupuy and wife, Tamra Simon Dupuy; grandchildren, Lauren Fredrick and partner, Stevie Menard; Jordan Frederick and wife, Lori Hebert Frederick; Landon Dupuy and fiancé, Kyla Hebert; Brooke Dupuy and fiancé, Colin Vaughn; Connor Dupuy; and five great-grandchildren, Adrianna Frederick; Avery Frederick; Easton Menard; Zaydon Dupuy and Sidney Menard. Ken has four siblings, Kathy Haltmar and husband, Warren; Homer Dupuy and wife, Carolyn; Louis Dupuy and wife, Chris; and Patricia Richard and husband, Mickey.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Patrick Dupuy and son-in-law, John Christopher Petitjean.
Personal condolences may be sent to the Dupuy family at www.delhommefuneralhome.com.
Delhomme Funeral Home, 200 Chief H. Fred Road, Maurice, LA is in charge of arrangements.

What are your plans after high school?

After discovering my passion for babies, I have decided to major in Nursing, and will attend McNeese State University in the Fall.

Who is/was your favorite teacher?

My favorite teacher is without a doubt Mr. Nagy. I appreciate how hard he worked to ensure his students were learning to retain the information, not just to pass a test.

Who has had the greatest influence on you, why?

Hands down my dad. Without him I would have never ended up in Abbeville, where I have done many wonderful things and made great friends.

What is your favorite movie?

The classic movie, “The Waterboy.” Not only do I love a good comedy, never would I have thought I would move to South Louisiana. Living here is nothing like the movie made it out to be!

If you had a chance to have dinner with one person from history, who would it be?

I would love to sit down with Florence Nightingale because she is the founder of modern Nursing.

If you could go back, what advice would you give “freshman” you?

Given the opportunity to go back in time I would tell my freshman self to stay focused no matter what because it will all work out in the end.

What was your most memorable moment from your senior year?

Well, beings the year we had... My most memorable moment was the first day I drove myself to school.

Who would you count on to uplift your spirits when you’re feeling down?

Ever since my sophomore year I have been very close to my volleyball coach, Ashly Boudreaux. No matter what my problem was she would hear me out, and always found a way to put a smile on my face.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I see myself being successful in my Nursing career, owning my own home and vehicle, and settling down with a wonderful man.

Isn’t it ironic that 20/20 is how we describe perfect vision but the year 2020 has made everything look so cloudy and uncertain?
I mean, what happened to everything we thought to be true? 2020 has shredded all that to pieces.
What once was up is now all down.
Don’t go hug grandma. Separation of church and state is now separation of people from their church. Stop your children from playing outside with the neighborhood children, they are much safer inside playing with their phones on the couch. Don’t shake someone’s hand and look them in the eye, instead give them an elbow bump while staying six feet away from them if possible (it’s not by the way).
Don’t wear a mask to stay safe, never mind, do wear a mask to stay safe. Doctor’s offices performing non-emergency, routine health checks are to be shut down, yet liquor stores are to stay open to continue providing their “essential” services.
Schools, family vacations, festivals, restaurants, gyms, movie theaters, the College World Series, March Madness, the Masters, the NBA, Nascar, Disneyworld and toilet paper all gone in the blink of an eye. Your 401k is either DOA or MIA.
Years from now, what will they see when they look back to 2020? A united, heroic, appropriate and successful response to a global pandemic that posed a unique risk to the viability of civilization as we know it? A government-led overreaction that bankrupted thousands and destroyed the modern economy? Both? Neither? Something else?
The truth is who the hell knows at this point, but one thing is for sure… economically, we have some serious work to do once this virus is whipped to get folks back to anywhere close to even.
The 2020 unemployment numbers are truly staggering. In January, before the COVID-19 response kicked off in earnest, the U.S. unemployment rate was 3.8 percent, while Louisiana’s was 5.7 percent. Since then, Hurricane Corona has walloped our economic shores with Category 5 force impact. More than 10 percent of American workers have filed for unemployment in the first month of this response. Louisiana’s unemployment claims are already more than double than what was filed during all of last year. We have never seen numbers like that in modern history.
Louisiana’s economy is especially vulnerable to this type of response due the hallmarks of our economic strength. We are a service-based economy. We depend on oil/gas, construction, manufacturing, hospitality, tourism, healthcare, agriculture and government for most of our jobs. So, how do those sectors look right now?
Hospitality and tourism have been shut down. In January, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicted oil would average $68 dollars a barrel in 2020. The price is in the low 20s today, with little prospects for a significant bump anytime soon. Manufacturing continues to operate, but global demand for non-response items has dropped considerably, forcing many of them to hold off on major capital projects and turnarounds… which has led to major losses in construction. Government will see much of the revenue and taxes they depend on drop considerably. Health care has been forced to shelve profitable elective procedures to prioritize COVID-19 response, leading to millions in unbudgeted costs and revenue cuts.
The point is not to be a bummer, but instead, to put us all on high alert for the next mission that will quickly be at hand: Louisiana’s economy will need to be rebuilt from the ground up and redesigned into something much different for long-term viability.
So, what does that look like?
Well, in the short term, we must help those existing businesses stay alive any way we can. That means access to capital and letting them keep more of their own money. This can be done this legislative session by ideas like suspending limitations on NOL carryback and other harmful business taxes from the last few years like the expansion of franchise tax to small businesses. Short-term relief will also require suspending regulations and licenses that create unnecessary costs or barriers to marketplace entry. People need to keep capital any way they can and start a new business with ease. As many of these suspensions that can turn into permanent new policy, the better.
In the medium-term, we need to pass a budget that provides critical services but is as efficient and innovative as possible. The legislature must also doggedly pursue smart policy like legal reform to protect those good Samaritans who have stepped up in the last few months and maximize all efforts to pass the Talbot bill to lower auto insurance rates by limiting frivolous lawsuits and allowing more evidence in courts. The Louisiana political establishment’s historic fear to tackle tort reform needs to get quarantined for good this year. There is no excuse on this… none… especially not now.
In the long-term, Louisiana needs historic, systemic change. It’s time to rewrite that Constitution inspired by Huey in the 20s and expanded by Edwin the 70s, and instead adopt a more market-driven model. It makes sense to embrace common sense reforms like centralized collection, innovative reforms like unfettered school choice, lower taxes on small business, effective workforce training for all workers and an all-out, Apollo mission-type effort to attract big job creators and investors to our state.
Defeating COVID-19 and fixing 2020 will require a team effort. It’s time to dream big. Getting back to “normal” is way too timid of a goal. We need 20/20 vision for something much bigger to salvage the second half of 2020.

Stephen Waguespack is President of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Department of Education on Tuesday released survey results that show progress in the number of school systems offering some level of continuous education to students amid the extended closure of public school facilities to curb the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). But the results, informed by responses from all 192 school systems, also illuminate the significant challenges that remain in ensuring equitable education for all students now and in the future.
"We appreciate the ingenuity and leadership our local educators have demonstrated. They have adopted their own unique strategies to engage students academically, socially and emotionally, and more importantly, they have provided necessary stability for many in an uncertain time," said Acting State Superintendent Beth Scioneaux. "But our school systems need additional support related to technology access for students; services for students with disabilities; and professional development for teachers to successfully provide continuous education using high-quality and standards-aligned curricula. We must innovate and work together to overcome these barriers to ensure every child, including those most vulnerable, have access to a quality education."
Continuous education, also referred to as distance or remote education and learning, is the ongoing and regular teacher-initiated interaction for the purposes of teaching, evaluating, and providing assistance throughout the duration of the course and curriculum delivery. This may include but is not limited to synchronous or asynchronous instructive interaction, including emails, videoconferencing, satellite learning, online chats, phone calls, and feedback on homework and assessments.
The survey posed questions about the types of continuous education taking place, the learning materials being used, the frequency of communication among teachers and students, access to technology for both teachers and students, staffing, school calendars, and additional areas of need.
The results, now available online, represent all survey responses received by April 17. Among the key takeaways:
More school systems are offering continuous education now than one month ago. All respondents reported offering some level of continuous education opportunities to students. The type of continuous education and level of engagement vary by school system. This shows progress from one month ago, when school facilities were first closed. Though not a direct comparison to the most recent survey, at that time, 39 of 69 parish and city school districts indicated they were offering these opportunities.
Louisiana must continue the use of curricular materials typically utilized in the classroom. Approximately 17 percent of respondents are using the curricula typically used in classrooms, 4 percent are using only supplemental or different materials, and 79 percent are using some combination of both. Many students are reviewing content previously covered in the school year, and that content does not always span all subjects.
The frequency at which students engage with teachers and receive feedback on their work may need to increase. Approximately 32 percent of school systems are connecting with students every day, 38 percent of school systems are connecting with students weekly, and 30 percent indicated another frequency. Fourteen percent of school systems indicated students in at least one grade band--PK-2, 3-8 or 9-12--are not receiving feedback on their learning, amounting to an estimated 24 percent of public school students statewide. The best practice includes daily contact among teachers and students and at least weekly feedback on students' work.
Many students and teachers do not have the right technology to maximize learning.
Respondents reported, on average, 28 percent of students do not have access to a school-issued or personal tablet or computer; 66 percent of students have home Internet access; 78 percent of students have access to a phone that could be used for conference calls and learning; and 93 percent of staff have the necessary technology, including Internet access and devices, to do their jobs from home.
Expanded learning time may be necessary to accommodate lost time this year, as well as in anticipation of possible facility closures in the future. Currently, 70 percent of respondents are contingency planning on offering summer school, but only 28 percent are contingency planning on starting the school year earlier.
School systems need additional support to serve all students. School systems reported needing additional assistance in expanding technology access for students, providing supports and related services to students with disabilities, and providing professional development for teachers to successfully provide continuous education.
To address these challenges and to support educators:
The Department released a suite of resources for educators and families to support continuous education for all students, including students with disabilities and English learners. Resources include but are not limited to: listings of academic resources organized by subject and curriculum provider; case studies of effective distance education models in Louisiana for low- and high-technology contexts; sample daily schedules and communications structures; information on how to continue direct student services, like speech therapy or counseling; and guidance to ensure special education compliance. Guidance on supporting students with significant cognitive disabilities is forthcoming.
The Department provided guidance to school systems on how to secure discounted technology and broadband for students. There now exists a step-by-step guide for school systems on how to identify local technology needs, how to determine which device to purchase, how to provide technical support for devices, and how to determine the best Internet options for students based on coverage area.
The Department will facilitate programmatic support to ensure a strong start to 2020-2021 school year. The Department will soon provide guidance to school systems on how to identify every child’s learning level; implement a plan to ensure every child is ready to build on that learning level, including strategies for extra academic time and continued use of high-quality curricula; and support the Class of 2020 in the successful transition to life after high school graduation.