Hopper,
One thing we have not talked about is "how" to start home schooling.
In Alabama there are only 3 legal options to "home school":
1. Option 1--Join a church based cover/umbrella school. Typically this is a church that has set up a home schooling program as a ministry arm through the church. Some churches might also run a private Christian school as well. The church is basically the administration for parent directed education. They handle enrollment, paperwork, keep record of attendance and grades, etc... Some cover schools do the bare minimum and some are very top shelf and organized. Think of it as a liaison between you and the state and also as a facilitator of any state requirements than may apply. Some schools offer labs, classes, co-ops, full sports that play seasons in various athletic conferences, career guidance, diploma programs, accredited, etc... Wide variety for you to find the right fit.
Hope Christian School in Alabaster/Pelham serves the Birmingham area and is probably the largest group in the state. This is who we go through. This is a full service cover school with clubs, sports, co-op classes, labs, full admin work, accredited, sending kids to college all over the nation every year. Example: as my boys are entering high school, we have signed them up for classes on advanced math and science. They are taught 2 days a week by a college professor, then do their work at home on the off days. We still handle English, History and the non-technical classes at home. We use a wide variety of curriculum, tailored to each child and what works best for them. Trial and error on curriculum.
There are multiple choices in and around B'ham and Jefferson County and Central Alabama. Call a school, go meet with admin and they can walk you through what to do. Different cover schools has different ways of doing things, different personalities, different offerings. Some have lots of extracurricular clubs and full sports programs, some don't do anything like that at all. Find your best fit.
2. Option 2 is joining a Private School with a parent directed option/home school option. A new law was passed in 2014 that opened up the door for church schools and private schools to break away from many state mandates and it openly recognizes home schooling now as protected.
Link for more information:
http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/al/201404080.asp 3.. Go through a Private, certified Tutor. This is option #3. The parent can get certified or you can hire a certified private tutor. With this option you do not have to go through a cover/umbrella school. On an island, on your own, dealing directly with the state on requirements.
Resources:
CHEF Alabama is a great resource on curriculum, how to home school, list of schools, etc...
https://www.homeschool-life.com/al/chefofalabama/ Other links for lists of schools:
http://northalabamahomeeducators.freeservers.com/schools.html http://www.leapingfromthebox.com/hs/alhschurchcover.html Click on statewide and also local coverage for a full listing.
Curriculum links:
http://www.homeschool.com/ http://www.rainbowresource.com/catalog.php 
