Fairfax County Public Schools provided China-affiliated organization with curriculum information used for students

Defending Education previously reported that Fairfax County Public Schools and nonprofit arm Thomas Jefferson Partnership Fund (TJPF) had a relationship with the Chinese Communist Party. The school district participated in agreements with China-affiliated groups such as the Ameson Education and Cultural Exchange Foundation, Tsinghua University, and Shirble Department Store Holdings China. These groups paid the district and its nonprofit arm $3.6 million in exchange for intellectual property, professional development, and records so that similar schools could be created in China.

Defending ED has now received additional records from the district detailing its relationship with Shirble Department Store Holdings China. In an email Defending ED received from the district dated January 4, 2019, a representative of TJPF contacted the assistant principal of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology asking:

One of our international partners, Shirble, has asked for a list of text books that we use for certain specific classes. Do we have a main list anywhere I can access? Or is it best for me to send you the list? Or go through Dept heads?

Defending ED received numerous email chains of school staff compiling the information and textbooks that Shirble requested. These classes included English, biology, chemistry, physics, geosystems, health, French, math, computer science, and several history classes. Staff also compiled the books that students read in classes for this request.

The district also provided Defending ED with an email that the chairman and CEO of China-affiliated “HiElites Education Technology Company” sent to the assistant principal of Thomas Jefferson High School on January 24, 2019. The organization offered for the school to allow students to participate in the “1st International High School Student Artificial Intelligence Invitational and Exchange Exhibition [that] will be held online and in Beijing by SenseTime Science Tech Inc, in collaboration with MIT and top universities in Asia.” The organizer of the event is “Beijing SenseTime Science Tech Ltd.” with several Chinese universities participating such as Tsinghua University and Beijing University.

The United States government has sanctioned SenseTime for reportedly playing a part in the surveillance of China’s Uyghur population. The federal government has restricted exports to the company as well as banning U.S. investment into the company.