"Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead are not just something that might happen, they are what is beginning to happen, now."
Yes. We are at greater risk of this now than in the past for two reasons:
1) Technology makes it easier for the gov't to spy on people. For example, the Fourth Amendment allows the gov't to follow people around in public spaces and watch them. But they can't afford to do that to everyone. Now they can b/c of technology.
2) Automation is replacing many jobs, causing us to have economic growth but wage stagnation. The growth is in the form of return on equity. This will make people reach for socialistic solutions.
OTOH, I'm optimistic that we'll get the benefits of technology and find ways to work through the pitfalls. I agree completely, though, that we must be vigilant. The material in Fountainhead and AS is more important than ever.

"I concentrated on math, physics, economics, and other sciences"
I love those topics. I've thought of going back and taking another class on math or physics now that I have more practical context. I know many rules of thumb involving physics. If I learned Maxwell's equations, I'd understand them better this time b/c I have all these years of seeing the results in action.

"I know that that's the type of mindset that will help bring about a socialist state--Obama's fundamental transformation of America"
I think that's crazy and that Obama is a good president, as mainstream candidates go. He was elected fairly, as was Bush in '04. The problems would almost be easier if there were one villain. The problem though is a mindset of turning things over to the gov't and the exec branch having too much power. The problem is asking "should this be allowed" instead of "should we empower the gov't to stop this".

"Kids must eat in a quiet space? Lol. Well what do you know..most of us are screwed then. "
That one school had a rule for everything, even trivial thing like which way to approach the lunch table. It would have been fine if it were one pet peeve, but they had a rule for everything. Many of them were trying to do the right thing. A few of them liked enforcing rules strictly for its own sake.

Kids must eat in a quiet space? Lol. Well what do you know..most of us are screwed then.some of the Best philosophical discussions I 've had were conversations around the dinner table. Eating and discussing, making trades, asking questions is what life is all about. It 's how we socialize. What was that place your kids were in? Sounds cultish

I apologize for being rough on you, Circuit Guy. I think that you are in a state of denial, and I know that that's the type of mindset that will help bring about a socialist state--Obama's fundamental transformation of America. Before the 2012 presidential election, his thought was that there was still enough socialists in America to get him elected. And then with the help of Eric Holder, he stole the election. As Edmund Burke said, Evil can only triump when good men do nothing.

High school - International Baccalaureate
BS EE - U of FL
MS EE - USF

"Are you really a Gulcher, CG? Do you understand Moral Pragmatism? You found Rand when you were 37, and still do not understand Objectivism?"
I read Fountainhead and then AS. I found them sort-of by chance. I loved them. I know they illustrate objectivist thought, but I don't know which parts are objectivist and which parts are just the story.

Regarding being really a Gulcher, I don't think the world is crashing and it's time to give up. I think that Rand was making an extreme illustration to make a point, not something we should aim for. I love the idea of people building a community to live deliberately with increased liberty. I will probably support such an effort in some form at some point.

Where did you go to school, CG?
I can't get back to you til tomorrow, so economize on your thinking, as you are wont to do.

"instead of the ravings of a child who felt unable to compete.
What bothers me is that in most schools only a form of Marxism will be taught-"
If I see that, we may be suing yet another school. Actually, we'd probably just pull them out. And we're never handing a school $10k all at once again. We're learned to be skeptical.

We talked about all four (4) points, although we approached the forth one as a concern that they were focused on minimum standards and not able to focus on kids not at the minimum. Regarding special needs kids, one school we looked at (this one was public) bragged about their padded room for special needs kids. They carried on about it for a while, which was odd since our kids at present don't have special needs. The school we chose appears to have a balanced view of special needs kids.

I find nothing wrong with that, even if Marxism was a rational form of philosophy, instead of the ravings of a child who felt unable to compete.
What bothers me is that in most schools only a form of Marxism will be taught--

"Please think of the consequence, CG--that is, the future. That's all Let's Shrug is trying to tell you."
It sounds like the same stuff people who think having things with corporate logos will have dire consequences for my kids, that it's indoctrinating them into seeing the world as large corporations do. I reject this view. I reject it even more if it starts out people feeling sorry for my kids b/c I'm the parent.

"Teaching individual freedoms and the importance of it is not on the top of their lesson lists"
They ought to be on the top of the list, now more than ever.

We want our kids to exposed to all theories, even Marxist ones. It's funny to say they infiltrated school. Many of them are my neighbors. I have no expectation that they're not going to be around people who believe in Marxist theories. I'm okay with it as long as they're not pushy.

Teaching individual freedoms and the importance of it is not on the top of their lesson lists. Times have changed.

So they conform to no ideology. It's a free for all? Will they not March in a quiet line when they go down the hall? Or have food forced onto their lunch tray they have no intention of eating and it will end up in the garbage (tax dollars wasted with no one explaining any of it to them). Will they be put at a table with slow kids so he/she can become mini teacher to them so the teacher is able to manage her over sized class more easily or have time to deal with little Johnny' s meds? Did you ask any of those questions?

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, CG. But our institutions of higher learning have been the homeland of some very serious marxist theorists, who in some fashion have infiltrated education and the mainstream media to an extent not seen before in America. Wake up!

"If one your kids will be entering school this fall, I have only one thing to say to you: Be afraid. Be very afraid."
I'm naturally paranoid about very little peril with my kids. I'm trying NOT to be afraid. I won't be shocked if we have to pull them out. It only took 13 days last time. LOL But we loved the new pre-school. I really hope things continue to work out.