A rock and a hard place

I have heard so many discussions over the years about Public school vs. Private school or homeschooling. I never saw the issue with public schools since I made it through the system without any problems. My son Zachary is in 1st grade this year and I am beginning to see a problem with the public school. I feel like he is being pushed so hard to meet "the standards" that he is loosing a lot of his childhood. I don't have a problem with homework, but the amount that is sent home each week is appalling. He is only 6 years old and instead of spending the majority of his time outside playing after school, he is sitting inside doing homework.

I feel like I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I cannot afford the luxury of a private school and I do not feel qualified to home school since I have no background in education. If I allow him to spend less time on his school work, I am afraid that he will not meet the standards, but if I do not allow him to rush through his work, then I am afraid that I am not giving him the precious time he has left to just be a kid. It is exciting to watch Zachary reading so well and learning so much, but I really feel that they are pushing kids today far beyond what is necessary. Being a child is supposed to be the time of your life. A time without pressure or anxiety. A time to be carefree. We all know that once you grow up, feeling like this is usually just a memory, but will my children ever have a memory without pressure with the way things are in the current school system. How can I as a parent, make sure that they do, and at the same time, keep them on track with the standards? I do not want my son to miss out on being a kid.