Hi Lisa,
I am totally new at homeschooling this year (1st and 5th graders), but I found this site to be very helpful when choosing curriculums: https://cathyduffyreviews.com/#
She is very unbiased and factual.
Also, I had to register my homeschool with my state department of education and then unenroll my kids from their public school.
Hope these tips help!
Jennifer