Whoa, this review is way over the top. There are elements that are true that go with working in a program like this but some of this stuff seems crazy to me. I’ve only been with the Wasatch program for a few years now and yeah, things aren't perfect(!) but all in all this has been a pretty decent job. These are my own straightforward and hopefully fair thoughts:

-The school is good and the students are pretty decent, maybe because most come from the school’s own middle school (I think).
-The international department is really big taking up two whole buildings. There is a very large Australian section and also Japanese and German. Heard there's about 40-50 foreign teachers in total in the school.
-There’s another much smaller US program based on something called GAC(?). I don’t understand why there’s two US programs in the same campus but some of our students who fail or get kicked out of ours transfer to that one.
-The school international department directors don’t really interfere with our classes. They do care very much though about teachers being professional and organized, know their content, are organized, and can run a classroom. Science and Math teachers probably have more scrutiny because locals are familiar with those classes versus the Social Science and Literature/LA classes. Reporting assessments regularly are important because they want to know how students are progressing.
-There are some copied materials. Depends on the course and what some teachers want. The students have all their main textbooks and materials on school-issued ipads or laptops though. Teachers are also issued apple laptops.
-Do we know exactly what happens with the grades? No. Working in China you tend to assume there’s funny business but since I’ve been here they’ve punished and thrown out students for cheating, and many of us have done remedial work with failing students (extra credit, makeup exams, etc), some who eventually pass and some who don’t. So honestly, we don’t what to think sometimes.
-Wasatch involvement is mostly puzzling and a little disappointing. They’re not absent because they do have someone living in Nanjing and do intervene when something comes up. Most of the teachers thought though there would be more direct interaction and academic direction. They are (sort of) available if you need them but it’s almost always at our initiative or if the school screws something up. All of us were interviewed by a Wasatch person though before we got the job and they seem to talk with the school and AHEAD pretty regularly but yeah, day-to-day, sometimes we forget about our connection to them.
-AHEAD is the company that manages or directs the program. They have a lot of schools including NFLS. As written below, we’re treated pretty well life-wise. No issues with pay and have even helped with serous medical bills and other off-contract stuff. The key complaint a lot of teachers have is with their campus staff. None of them really know education and don’t really go out of their way to help us. One of them is quite lazy and their main person is nice enough person but is essentially irrelevant besides being a messenger for the school and the AHEAD main office. The head office people do have some capable and academically-orineted people but we don’t see them that much! There’s also not enough feedback! It’s clear there are people somewhere (school, Wasatch, Ahead) that care about academics and the program and are keeping track of how our classes are going. How about including the teachers more in the process!!!!!
-One of the teachers has been here from the start of the program and he does confirms things were pretty rough a couple of years ago though he blames a group of teachers who were very unpleasant and treated the job like they were teaching in a training school (a la drop in/drop out, super entitled, outright racist). School should also be blamed for hiring them but he says the school/ahead/Wasatch finally did clear those guys out including replacing/firing the hiring staff. I was a little nervous when I arrived because there were so many new teachers but I guess that was the reason why. Some office politics is unavoidable but people have gotten along pretty well since I've been here.

-main positive takeaways - school and students are good, quite a bit of freedom as long as long as we do our job, colleagues are pretty professional, diverse and collegial. Compared to a lot of places in China, a refreshing lack of drama or dysfunction. We’re treated pretty well life-wise and there are some people who care about the academics. Nanjing is a pretty nice place to live. Some of the AHEAD/Wasatch people do try to look out for our well-being.
-main negative takeaways – the school can overreact, Wasatch has not shown enough (any) academic leadership, Ahead’s campus staff are ineffectual, their HQ staff too removed. Communication and notice not bad but still gets top-down heavy, especially for school scheduling. Lack of leadership or is too diffuse between the various groups. Course of study is too rigid. Hard to get (real) materials on short notice. Could be a really, really great job (for a Chinese school) if they (mostly Wasatch) give teachers more clear direction and curricular structure.

I think whoever wrote this review goes a bit overboard in condemning Wasatch and Ahead, but only a bit.

I have just completed three years at NFLS and found it to be a great school.

Wasatch and Ahead, however, not so great.

I won't make any accusations of corruption because I simply lack credible evidence. Tho I would not be surprised.

I was paid regularly without fail, clipped only once.

The question of competence, however, is entirely another matter.

Wasatch is totally hands off. I could have been teaching astrology for all they knew.

So I guess the mantra "Wasatch Academy is okay with this, as long as they get paid," rings true.

Still, as a professional I found the lack of oversight liberating, and was able to develop coursework to truly meet the needs of the excellent students at NFLS without interference.

Ahead took pretty good care of my needs throughout my three year stay - transportation, housing, banking, etc., so long as they didn't meddle in academic affairs. In that sphere they are totally in over their heads. Couldn't deliver a proper textbook for three years running. I often felt they were simply playing at being educators. Well, too bad. But as a travel agency I'd give them a thumbs up.

The program went through 18 teachers in three years, with only one returning for the fourth, and he an ignorant flat-earther.

Is truly a shame, because the students are the best I've ever encountered.

But the atmosphere in the common office was thick with frustration and anger, a mass exodus of teachers at the end of each year.

I truly loved working at NFLS, its students and staff.

But as for Wasatch Academy and Ahead Education - two bands of quarrelsome pirates washed upon the shores of Cathay.

This is a warning to anyone considering working for Ahead Education, especially in their Wasatch Academy American Diploma program.

As a quick background, Ahead Education is the corrupt and incompetent Chinese company that manages Wasatch Academy’s American Diploma program. Wasatch, a prestigious private school in the United States, sells the rights to their diploma to Ahead Education, which then implements the program in Chinese schools.

This is a joke of a program for the following reasons:

- Grades don’t matter. The grades you assign to students will be changed by either Ahead Education, Wasatch Academy, or the Chinese host school, before the transcripts are sent to universities. Wasatch Academy is okay with this, as long as they get paid.

- Materials are photocopied, downloaded, or stolen. Textbooks are cheap photocopies and lack access to any and all online resources. Students are overcharged for these materials. Wasatch Academy is okay with this, as long as they get paid.

- The academic program is 100% Chinese, except for the white faces in the classrooms. Hardline communist Chinese administrators at Ahead dictate the ‘American’ curriculum. Wasatch Academy is okay with this, as long as they get paid.

- The curriculum would not pass the eye test in America, but somehow results in an American high school diploma. Classes taught by Chinese teachers, in Chinese, count as legitimate American high school credits. Students take less than half of their subjects in English. Wasatch Academy is okay with this, as long as they get paid.

- Ahead Education is over staffed with terrible employees. All employees are related to other high-ranking employees, and zero of them are experienced or capable of doing their jobs. Particularly incompetent employees are Sullen, Charles (recently renamed as Chuck), Walter, Adeline, and Freda.

- Wasatch Academy is a silent partner. They do not interfere with Ahead Education. From what I can tell, their only role is to apologize. While they consistently assign all blame to Ahead, they’re 100% responsible for lacking enough of a spine to correct Ahead. They hold the power in this partnership, yet Ahead wears the pants.

- Ahead Education will rip you off in regards to your apartment. You’ll get a 2000/month apartment and your salary will cover 3000/month rent. Ahead pockets the difference. Wasatch Academy is okay with this, as long as they get paid.

- Ahead Education will promise a certain salary and workload. When you arrive, your salary will be lower than you and agreed upon, and your workload will be higher. Wasatch Academy is okay with this.

- Ahead Education does not consistently pay your salary on time, or in the correct amount. Expect at least half of your paychecks to be “mistakenly” short. Wasatch Academy is okay with this.

To be entirely clear, this is NOT an international school. It is a Chinese school, your bosses are Chinese, and you’re paid by a Chinese company. Other than tricking you into taking the job, Wasatch Academy is not involved in this program in any way.

If you are a licensed or qualified teacher, avoid this job at all costs -- it will not be good experience. There are thousands of better jobs out there for you. If you're a backpacker, then this job is right up your alley.