There is an option called K12 and it’s basically a good and decent general education, all online. It’s very cheap and effective. Many parents could hire someone to supervise their kids doing K12, and/or alter their work schedules a bit to be home with kids from 9 to 3. Their kids would actually GET the education they need without all the distractions and stress of school.
It works and is catching on with a lot of peole, particularly ones who are in extremely dreadful and dangerous school settings.
From age 3 to the 3rd grade, I used a mix of on-line programs & unschooling (not popular for some, but it worked for us). These grades are the easiest to teach; if you have graduated from high school and love your children, that's enough to be qualified, IMO.
For 4th & 5th grade, my daughter attended Catholic school, where, despite needing a short adjustment period to get accustomed to the system, she quickly became the best student in class. Unfortunately, the standards weren't as rigorous as we'd thought would be. Plus, sitting in a cell-block classroom with the same bunch of cliquish kids for 6 hours a day only prepares a student for the misery of working in an office cubicle, mindlessly following corporate demands(see the movie Office Space).
We figured spending $4500/year for private school wasn't worth it, so for 6th-8th, we used Calvert School program which was about $1000 year. They provided on-line and written academic support, a strong internet community for students & home educators, and annual assessments from certified teachers. (As I said, NY state is quite demanding in their documentation).
For high school I now plan on using Brightway Academy. Although I am not Christian, I don't mind that they are, as their academics are intense. They are a private school based in PA, and incredibly flexible with their homeschool curriculum. I can teach my daughter “the traditonal way” with books. She can be taught with on-line classes, participate in Skype-study groups with other students and has access to online tutoring. Or, we can do a combination of traditional and modern, whatever works best with our schedule. Brightway also provides accredited High School Diplomas (no GEDS) and access to AP classes and college credit.
There is even a cap & gown graduation ceremony for all home-school students. Since I live on Long Island, the drive to PA isn't so bad. Granted, it does cost $2500-$4000 depending on the program, but it's cheaper than $10,000 for private High School. Gov’t school in not an option.
Brightway is only one option; there are cheaper ones like the Benjamin Franklin school ($400/year) and numerous others. There are so many choices out there for parents who wish to provide home instruction, even if it's only for a few years. If you have the will, you can do it.