My own approach toward formulating a position is to allow for a fair amount of time to hear what others have to say and let the details settle in my mind. I am using this strategy for general education.
General education is fundamental to our academic program.
This, in my opinion, is a bad idea. There is little good news regarding the state of K-12 mathematics and science education in the United States. Recent news reports put American high school students at or near the bottom in mathematics, advanced mathematics and physics, compared with the nations participating in the study. This is disturbing considering the increasingly technical nature of national job markets and every day life. I mean mathematical principles and concepts as well as applications - it gets taught improperly and the problem worsens.