As a mother of a then-Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology student, I recall conversations with fellow parents about suspicions they long held about the mysterious Thomas Jefferson Partnership Fund. It is a nonprofit organization located inside the high school, seemingly dedicated to raising money for the former No. 1 high school in America.

There was a discussion with one fellow parent in particular who started to dig into the entities that were providing financial backing to this fund. As an avid researcher, she had compiled seven years’ worth of newsletters and annual reports produced by the TJPF. She highlighted and circled three donors that stood out: Tsinghua University High School, Ameson Foundation, and Shirble Department Store Holdings China.