Ex-eBay CEO: Education should be “national security priority”

Former eBay Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman on Monday night called on the nation to start thinking about education as a “national security priority,” warning that a lack of science and engineering expertise threatens Americas “ability to thrive as a global power.”

“We would never have allowed our military to decline in the way that we have allowed education to decline in the last 30 years,” said Ms. Whitman, who stepped down in March after 10 years at the helm of the online auction giant to join Senator John McCains presidential campaign. “The fact is that Americas schools are not turning out enough young people with skills in math, science, engineering and technology that are going to be needed in the 21st century economy.”

Ms. Whitman, speaking at a dinner sponsored by the Northern Virginia Technology Council, echoed the call frequently issued by Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates that the nations shortfall in high-tech talent requires a new emphasis on math and science education along with a vast increase of the cap on visas for skilled workers. She cited several metrics revealing that U.S. high school students are far behind other industrialized countries when it comes to performance in those subjects.

“If we do not rededicate ourselves to education in the same way Americans have dedicated themselves to going to the moon and fighting wars were not going to be able to create the next eBay, the next Google, the next Dell, the next Microsoft or the next Intel,” said Ms. Whitman, whose name has been floated by Mr. McCain as a possible pick for Treasury secretary in his administration if the Republican wins the White House.

She said the country should set the goal of being the world leader in math and science education within the next 10 years. As for specific policy recommendations, she highlighted the “remarkable results” of school choice programs in Florida, where she said the lowest quintile of Hispanic students have outperformed the average Californian student over the last eight years.

Ms. Whitman — previously in charge of fundraising for the presidential bid of her one-time boss, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, before joining Mr. McCains camp in February kept partisan remarks to a minimum, but touted her opposition to any hike in the capital gains tax and those on small businesses or corporations. She likewise called for reform of “out-of-control spending” and the government’s “over-reliance on taxes.”

When Ms. Whitman took the reins of eBay in 1998, the Silicon Valley start-up had fewer than 30 employees and about $4 million in annual revenues. When she left, there were somewhere around 15,000 workers at the company, which now has $7.7 billion in yearly sales.