Thomas Jefferson High School gave permission to China-affiliated organizations to create schools in China using the Virginia school’s name and likeness

Parents Defending Education submitted multiple public records requests to Fairfax County Public Schools seeking records on Thomas Jefferson High School’s relationship to China-affiliated entities. In one document PDE received dated August 15, 2017, a representative of the school’s nonprofit arm Thomas Jefferson Public Fund (TJPF) stated that TJPF “in partnership with the Ameson Education and Cultural Exchange Foundation (Ameson), will continue to work collaboratively with Shanghai Ambright Cultural Exchange, Inc. (Ambright Education Group) to establish a school in Shanghai inspired by the TJHSST’s academic and administrative models.”

She continued to explain in the letter that the school “fully supports this collaborative effort between Ameson, Ambright and TJPF.” She explained that “it is understood that TJHSST and TJPF are supportive of the opportunity to name the school ‘Shanghai Thomas International School,’ or any name with likeness thereof” and that “we have no objections to this usage.” She then said: “Furthermore, TJPF fully acknowledges TJHSST’s role in the inspiration and establishment of said school.”

This appears to be a contradiction from what Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid told the Virginia Secretary of Education on August 29, 2023. She stated in a letter to the Virginia Secretary of Education: “The TJ Fund is a separate and independent 501(c)(3) entity, which is not overseen by FCPS, is funded entirely through charitable donations, and whose purpose is to ‘[s]upport the unique learning opportunities, specialized curriculum and innovative research experiences available for TJ students’ and to ‘[p]rovide opportunities for alumni to remain connected through increased engagement opportunities.'” The relationship between Thomas Jefferson High School and the Thomas Jefferson Public Fund does not appear to be “separate and independent” from one another according to the records PDE received.