I have family who homeschool, and I have family who don't; I used to see benefits to both options. But I really don't see any upsides to the public system anymore. One of my sisters is a teacher in the public school system and she says that she would never send a child into it now. She emphasizes never. So if you have kids, my advice is to find another way. The good new is, there are a lot more options and resources than there used to be- and a lot more homeschoolers. My nephews belong to a homeschool co op in their area which gets together for lessons a couple times a week, so aren't always at home doing their school work. It's not easy, obviously- it takes hard work and sacrifice- but healthy, well educated kids are worth it.