By Caleb Wertz
The number of homeschooled students has increased 51% over the past six years, according to a Washington Post data analysis, and one Sapulpa family that started homeschooling several years ago said they highly recommend it to families who have the time.
Anna and Brian Mitchell moved to Sapulpa in 2016 when their oldest son, Bryce, was about to start middle school. Bryce and his younger brothers, Logan and Aven, attended Freedom Elementary School and loved it, but they decided to give homeschooling a try.
“We started homeschooling. Bryce and I have had a lot of fun and have made great progress,” Anna says. “We ended up pulling the other two along too, so this is our sixth year.”
Their homeschool activities include a variety of what Anna calls “homeschool activities,” including horseback riding and flying drones. The family also took karate classes at the Japanese Martial Arts Academy in Sapulpa last year.
“We all work together, it's a good activity to do together,” Anna said. “It's beneficial because everyone needs to be able to protect themselves and everyone needs to have confidence and discipline to take part in activities like this.”
The dojo they attend is run by Jerry Cichon, who began teaching martial arts in a west Tulsa community center in 1979. He previously taught out of his garage for seven years, but since June 2023 has been running the Sapulpa dojo downtown.
“I taught kids who needed a little guidance. The fees weren't high and I didn't make much, but that was OK,” she said. “I've always been the type of person who doesn't care who I teach.”
Anna and Brian's three adopted children — one with Tourette's syndrome and Asperger's syndrome, one with autism and one with anxiety — say homeschooling is an especially good option for kids who might not adapt to a rigid school system.
“Many of my students right now have different types of disabilities, including children and adults with autism,” Cichon said. “This program is beneficial for them mentally, especially in terms of building self-confidence and self-control, which are things you gain all the time.”
Chichon also spoke about the benefits of their martial arts style, which allows them to train using both hands and become ambidextrous.
“It helps with their social development, but more than anything it really helps with their coordination and motor skills,” Chichon said.
Anna's husband, Brian, owns a law firm, and she does his accounting and bookkeeping, so she has plenty of time to homeschool. She mentioned new computer-based homeschooling programs that other parents are using that can cut down on the time needed for lesson planning, but she prefers the old-fashioned way.
“I think my kids can already handle electronics and are pretty computer literate, so I'm helping them write and write in cursive,” Anna says. “Everything they do is based on books and handwriting.”
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the most common reasons for choosing to homeschool include concerns about the school environment such as negative peer pressure, the desire to provide moral guidance, and a desire to emphasize family life.
“It has allowed our lifestyle to slow down a lot and there's a lot less stress at home. It's nice to have our own schedule,” Anna says.
