LA Unified superintendent resigns amid FBI investigation – CalMatters

from Carolyn JonesCalMatters

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Alberto Carvalho, who won widespread praise for helping Los Angeles Unified emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, resigned as the district’s superintendent on Sunday amid an FBI investigation apparently related to a botched contract for an AI chatbot he promoted.

Los Angeles Times was the first to report the resignation. CalMatters reported chatbot failure.

Carvalho did not respond to a request for comment. He denied wrongdoing.

The district, in a written statement on behalf of the school, said the acting superintendent, Andres Schait, will remain in the position until the board chooses Carvalho’s successor.

“The board remains steadfast in its commitment to providing stability, continuity and continued progress through strong leadership,” the district said. “Our focus remains unchanged: providing every student with a high-quality education, supporting our dedicated workforce, and maintaining the trust of the communities we serve.”

A former superintendent in Miami, Carvalho was a national star in education circles when Los Angeles Unified hired him in February 2022, a few months after schools reopened for face-to-face instruction. During his tenure, English test scores rose more than 5 percentage points and math scores jumped nearly 8 points, a recovery that far outstripped the national average. The graduation rate also went up.

He also drew attention to efforts to boost attendance, which have lagged in Los Angeles and elsewhere after schools closed due to the pandemic. He went door-to-door to convince students to return to school and invested in billboards, bus ads and other outreach efforts increase enrollment in transitional kindergarten.

As the Trump administration cracked down on immigration, Carvalho — himself a former undocumented immigrant — became an outspoken advocate for the right of immigrant students to attend school. Among other things, the district created a 24-hour hotline and seminars focused on the legal rights of immigrants, offered free legal aid through local nonprofits and created a virtual academy for students afraid to leave home because of the risk of deportation.

“At a time when immigrant students and families felt fear and uncertainty, Superintendent Carvalho used his voice and position to affirm that all children deserve safe, welcoming schools,” said Families in Schools, a Los Angeles parent advocacy group that earlier this month honored Carvalho with a Courage in Leadership Award. “His steadfast support of immigrant communities reflects the values ​​that define Los Angeles and the best of leadership in public education.”

The FBI raided Carvalho’s home and office in February, just after the district renewed his contract. He has been on leave since then.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and is republished under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.