Note: The letter below was sent from the Virginia Secretary of Education. FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid responded. A statement entitled Response to Questions by Virginia Secretary of Education was published on the FCPS website on August 29, 2023.

March 9, 2023

Dear Dr. Reid: 

On Day One of his administration, Governor Youngkin signed Executive Order One which solidified our commitment to banning political indoctrination in our children's classrooms and emphasized teaching our children the value of freedom of thought and diversity of ideas. The news that Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) and the TJHSST Partnership Fund (Fund) have accepted significant financial contributions from entities known to have connections with the Chinese Community Party (CCP) raises significant concerns regarding these principles.

While the focus on removing CCP influence in higher education is garnering the most national attention, these recent revelations that a Virginia high school accepted contributions from CCP-linked entities are equally concerning and warrant a response regarding the nature of these funds. In particular, I am requesting information on the following: 

1. Since the commencement of the Fund, how much money was accepted from CCP-linked entities?
2. For what purposes have the funds from CCP-linked entities been used?
3. Have any of the CCP-linked entities that contributed to the Fund provided any guidance, influence or instructional materials related to content taught at TJHSST?
4. Were any instructional materials, class schedules, and individual performance or evaluation indicators provided to these CCP-linked entities?
5. Was any non-public student information, individual or in aggregate, provided to the CCP-linked entities?

I am requesting that you direct schools within your division to cut ties with CCP-linked partners. Furthermore, I have asked the Virginia Department of Education to investigate the prevalence of such relationships between CCP-linked partners and local school divisions across the Commonwealth.

I look forward to your response to this request. 

Sincerely,

Aimee Rogstad Guidera
Acting Superintendent of Public Instruction and Secretary of Education
Commonwealth of Virginia