'“I believe schools shouldn’t be run like businesses. They should be more like a garden; a place that nurtures children so they can grow into the best versions of themselves without fear of performance being the only metric that is rewarded.”
Hi, I’m Tristan Yperman and I am running for school board in East Baton Rouge Parish District 6.
I believe schools shouldn’t be run like businesses. They should be more like a garden; a place that nurtures children so they can grow into the best versions of themselves without fear of performance being the only metric that is rewarded.
Our historically low test scores are proof that underserved schools need more resources not less. These are the schools where kids most need to feel that school is a place they want to be; not a cold institution and not a place where a screen does all the teaching. Low scores are a cry for help and they should be answered not punished. You can't punish something into becoming what you want it to be, you have to nurture it tend to it and guide it. That's what I believe our pillars as a school board should be. And our children will flourish the way this state naturally does.
This work will be a bit like learning to crochet a blanket for the first time. There will be mistakes and I'll own them. I'm willing to learn as I go and it may get messy but whose life doesn't in one way or another? Every bit of this effort comes from love and from wanting to do something that actually helps.
Reimagining Education: District-Wide Play-Based Learning
Our current education model was built for the industrial age, prioritizing passive listening and worksheet compliance. Today’s students are entering a digital-first, rapidly changing economy that demands critical thinking, complex collaboration, and adaptive problem-solving.
As your School Board Trustee, my top priority will be implementing a district-wide, evidence-based Active Playful Learning (APL) framework. Backed by leading research from institutions like the Brookings Institution, this platform ensures our schools teach exactly how human brains naturally learn. By embedding intentional, guided play into our core curriculum, we will protect student mental health, support our teachers, and accelerate academic achievement in math, literacy, and STEM.
The 4-Pillar Action Plan for Our District
To move this from a warm sentiment to operational reality, my platform focuses on structural governance, fiscal equity, and strict accountability:
1. Protect Instruction with a "Play to Learn" Policy
I will introduce an official board policy that protects and embeds guided play and interactive learning directly into the mandatory instructional minutes of the school day. Modeled after successful state-level legislation like Oklahoma's Play to Learn Act and Connecticut's public mandates, this policy will prohibit individual school administrations from banning or reducing play-based methods in Pre-K through 3rd grade. Furthermore, it will mandate that early-grade playful learning remains predominantly free from individual mobile tech screens and worksheets, returning the focus to peer-to-peer exploration.
2. Fund Continuous Teacher Support (Not One-Off Seminars)
We cannot expect teachers to transform their classrooms overnight without support. I will advocate for a budget re-allocation toward practice-based coaching networks. By utilizing a train-the-trainer system, local instructional coaches will work cyclically with educators to co-observe classrooms, provide feedback, and comfortably shift teaching mindsets without adding to their workloads.
3. Redefine Accountability with the "6 Cs"
Critics often worry that play-based learning means lowering standards. The data shows the exact opposite. I will champion accountability models that measure the district's ability to foster the 6 Cs: Collaboration, Communication, Content, Critical Thinking, Creative Innovation, and Confidence. We will shift early-grade assessments away from stressful, multiple-choice testing checks toward documented, observation-based portfolios.
4. Guarantee Resource Equity Across All Neighborhoods
Every child in our district deserves access to a high-quality education, regardless of their zip code. I will propose dedicated district capital to fund Classroom Play-Kit Subsidies for tactile math tools, manipulative centers, building blocks, and outdoor sensory exploration spaces. This ensures that lower-income schools aren't forced to rely on PTA fundraisers or parent donations to build active learning environments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is this just "soft babysitting"? Won't academic test scores drop?
No. Guided play is rigorous data science. Decades of cognitive research prove that adult-supported, child-directed guided play outperforms standard lecture-style instruction in core literacy, expressive vocabulary, early math, and spatial logic. This strategy maintains a strict focus on traditional state academic standards—it simply changes how we deliver the material so that it actually sticks.
How does this affect our teachers who are already facing burnout?
This policy replaces, rather than adds to, the burdens on our educators. By removing the high-pressure focus on worksheets and passive compliance, teachers are given the professional autonomy to bring joy back into their classrooms. Data from pilot programs shows that when classrooms become active and socially interactive, teacher engagement and job satisfaction spike significantly.
Will my child be prepared for the "real world" and the future job market?
Worksheets and memorization track paths to passive obedience, a trait the modern workforce is actively leaving behind. Today's top employers seek graduates who possess deep executive functions, impulse control, and team-based problem-solving skills. By teaching children to negotiate rules, design structures, and iterate through challenges, we are building the exact workforce readiness skills they need to thrive.
Join our movement to bring active, joyful, and rigorous education to every single child in our district. Let's build a school system designed for the future.
