Emotional appeals are working; How to make it stop?

Would this question/wondering for advice be acceptable for sharing here?

I am veteran K-12 administrator. I have been perplexed and frustrated by our inability to debate our educational agenda in objectively.

In K – 12 education, a debate about (1) the model (or variants of hybrid, virtual, etc.), (2) safety, and (3) equity are dominating strategic planning.
 
The argument that, “we are in this for the children” seems to be a battle cry for many administrators. It is proving highly-effective inside the decision-making process. Decisions that affect the lives of communities are being made around this appeal.
“Teachers need to do ‘x’ and just do what they get paid to do,” is a common point.
“We need to put the kids first and get everyone back in school as much as possible,” is another.  
 
Pointing out the obvious for those in K-12:
We are writing the operations’ playbook during a pandemic.
Education research offers little guidance  at this time (we are making inferences and generalizations from kind and unkind domains)
Emotions (or politics) surface during these discussions in the form of beliefs. 

We are creating the plane while flying, so the saying goes.
 
Although the fallacy of this emotional appeal has been revealed to the audience, the argument continues to work in favor of a conclusion. Those not in favor are the subject of ad hominin rejections. It seems that reason has been misplaced by fervor or ideology.
 
Meanwhile, we often find ourselves sitting at a bifurcation in the road hungry and thirsty; and we are equally distant from said nourishment. 
 
How would you get this argument into a place where authentic discussion (objective intent) is possible?