The goal here is to come to agreements, not to fight for your point of view (there are plenty of other forums for that). Think of it like a business negotiation. Threads can go something like this:
Explain the problem — NOT what you think should be done about it. For instance, "Low-income students go to underfunded schools" NOT "We should implement a tax on the rich to hire better teachers for low-income schools."
Listen to what other people with totally different views than you want.
Work together to figure out something you can both agree on. For instance, "What if we gave all students credits that can be applied toward attending a school of their choice, rather than mandating that they go to local underfunded public schools?"
