This is a conversation that comes up among fellow parents – one that's apparently happening across the United States: Should we keep our kids in public school?

The switch to a private school is becoming more realistic for parents of modest means as President Donald Trump and Republicans funnel more and more taxpayer money into voucher programs to cover tuition costs. That very same government action is hampering public schools as they watch potential revenue drain into the private sector.

As the government puts its hand on the scale of school choice, it changes the calculus for parents making key decisions about educating their children.

It's a wrenching and complicated subject for me. Over the span of years and different places we lived, my parents sent me to both public and private schools. My parents finished their working lives in public schools – my dad as a high school teacher and my mom as a school counselor.

I see great value in a public school system that takes all children – where kids are part of their community and they learn not just about academic subjects, but also about how to live in a diverse and varied society. But can public schools teach my children the reading and math skills they need to survive in a rapidly changing world? Especially when public school teachers are buckling under economic and other pressures and quitting in droves?

What type of school did you choose for your kids – and why?

Are vouchers then the answer? Or something in between, like charter schools, which are public but don't have the core public responsibility to educate all children? What about homeschooling? Or "unschooling"?

For help with the debate, we're turning to you, our readers. We want your take on school vouchers and similar efforts to make it easier for students to go to nontraditional public schools. What are the best options for the children we are trying to educate? Take our poll below, or send us an email with the subject line "Forum school choice" to forum@usatoday.com. We'll publish a selection of responses from all sides of the conversation.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Do you still have faith in public schools, or are private vouchers the future? Tell us. | Opinion

Reporting by Joel Burgess, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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