You're right. You have too little input. My wife and I have 3 children, and after experiencing similar school system issues with the oldest, we decided to homeschool. things are going beautifully now. This isn't a sales pitch for homeschooling; that's a drastic step that just isn't warranted in all cases. The key thing to remember though is to stay as involved as necessary to make sure your child(ren) turns out the way you and your wife want him(them) to. It's our job number one priority as parents to make sure our kids get what they need to be the people we want them to be. If you're not comfortable with the way things are going, and are feeling a little left out (uninvolved), here's some things that can help: -get on the school board of your child's current school -audit the classroom (if the school doesn't allow this, get your child out of there) -go on the field trips with your child where possible -do some after-hours tutoring at home Anything you can do to get more involved in your child's education will definitely help. And, it doesn't hurt to come right out and ask the school how they can operate on a budget like that. If they aren't willing to share, maybe it is a cult?