Maybe in your case you had the fortune to run into a good partnership that Qidong Middle School had with whatever Western Educational entity they were working with. These partnerships can be short, inconsistent, and volatile to say the least. I have a friend who used to work in Haimen Middle School in the city of Haimen (neighboring Qidong to the west) and that school had went through some problems with its exchange program with the American company that was in charge of helping students get into an American university. The last I heard they switched last summer to a British outfit. Sometimes it's the luck of the draw.

Ivy Education is not a licensed school and consequently uses illegal foreign teachers. There are two schools which they currently affiliate with: Qidong middle school and Taiyuan number 5 middle school, operating "AP" programs. They are a shadow company operating around the fringes of the law, and great caution should be used in any dealings with them.

I should have known better, but I trusted a few people and let my guard down. They do pay well, but have no ability to get anyone a visa, despite what they say in their ads or to your face. Just hired another teacher in Taiyuan on a tourist visa. I had one semester remaining on a residence permit and was lured by the salary. Very polite, evasive and great con-artists. Note: There are several companies in China using the name "Ivy Education", and some of them may be legit.