Tampa Bay area ranks in Florida's top 10 for number of home schooled children

SEMINOLE, Fla. (WFLA) – Michelle Cullum beams from ear to ear when she talks about her four children, Isaac, Prima, Eli and Kyrie. They are the loves of her life.

And her students.

Michelle and her husband are among the many Florida families who home school their children.

Tampa Bay area counties like Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Polk rank among the highest in the state when it comes to the number of students who are home schooled, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Palm Beach and Duval Counties have the highest numbers.

The Seminole couple began their at-home education journey with their children years ago and wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Oh, they’re awesome,” Michelle told News Channel 8, grinning from ear to ear. “They have their strengths and weaknesses, and it’s wonderful seeing them develop into young people each day.”

This mother of four cherishes the one-on-one time each day and looks forward to what school days will bring.

“Every day, it’s exciting to wake up and think about a book I get to share with them or something new I get to learn alongside them.”

School time is five days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., which includes field trips and visits from other families who home school. Every year, Michelle and her husband revisit the same conversation with the same question – Should we continue to home school?

Every year the answer is yes.

“It works for us. I know not all families have the freedom to do this. I’d home school other children in the neighborhood if I could,” she said with a smile. “I love it. I get to be with my children in a [unique] way. I spend a lot of time with my kids. I’m grateful to give each of them time.”

There’s another aspect of her children’s schooling she’s especially grateful for – their safety.

“That’s extremely comforting to me to know that’s one piece of their life during the day I don’t have to worry about,” she said.

Michelle admits that conversations with her children about the mass school shooting in Parkland are difficult, but necessary. She doesn’t shy away from tough topics or current events.

In fact, those discussions are crucial.

“Their question usually comes to, ‘why would someone do that?’ So, then we talk about why would somebody do that. And we try to help them make good choices in their own life.”

The community of parents who home school, Michelle tells us, has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years.

She also says the state has made the process easy, allowing parents freedom to choose curriculum and user-friendly information online.

“When we started eight years ago, we were a tiny group. Now, there are more and more groups all over the county.”

She added, “There’s a lot of resources out there.”

Michelle says while home schooling may not be for everyone, she feels this choice has changed her life.

And her students at home.

For more information on home schooling in Florida, you can visit the Florida Department of Education’s website.