Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of the nation's second-largest school district serving more than 500,000 students, resigned Sunday after four months on paid leave during a federal investigation that included FBI searches of his home and Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters.
In his resignation letter addressed to "students, families, teachers, staff, and community," Carvalho said he wanted schools to remain focused on students and learning "without distraction" and cited what he called "historic progress" during his tenure. He wrote, "Placing students first has always guided my work. Because I believe our schools must remain focused on students and learning without distraction, I am resigning as Superintendent of LAUSD effective today, June 21, 2026."
The Investigation and Contract Controversy
Authorities have not provided details of the investigation involving the district, though it appears to relate to a contract the district had with an education technology company whose leader was later indicted for fraud. The company, AllHere, had a contract with the district to create an AI chatbot. In 2024, Carvalho heavily touted a deal with AllHere for an AI chatbot named "Ed" designed to help students. About three months after unveiling the technology and paying the company $3 million, the district dropped its dealings with AllHere, which later collapsed into bankruptcy. Months later, founder Joanna Smith-Griffin was charged with securities and wire fraud, along with identity theft.
The district's Board of Education voted unanimously two days after the FBI served the search warrants to place Carvalho on leave pending the outcome of the investigation. In February, the FBI also searched a third location near Miami. The Miami Herald reported the Florida property belonged to Debra Kerr, who previously worked with AllHere.
No Charges Filed
Authorities have not accused Carvalho of any crimes. He denied wrongdoing earlier this year and had asked to be reinstated as head of the district. Holland & Knight, the law firm representing him, previously said, "Mr. Carvalho respects the rule of law and the investigative process and has always acted in the best interests of students and within the bounds of the law. While the government's investigation remains ongoing, no evidence has been presented by prosecutors supporting any allegation that Mr. Carvalho violated federal law." Following the search of school headquarters, LA Unified said it was cooperating with investigators and had no further information.
Leadership Transition and Carvalho's Background
The board said it received his resignation letter and said, "The Board remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring stability, continuity, and continued progress through strong leadership. 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." It said Andrés Chait, who has been acting superintendent, will remain in that position until a permanent decision is made.
Carvalho became superintendent of LA schools in 2022 on a four-year contract with an annual salary of $440,000. He began a new four-year contract earlier in February, just weeks before the raid, for the same salary, according to school board meeting documents. Before becoming the Los Angeles superintendent in 2022, Carvalho spent his entire education career in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, where he drew national praise for improving graduation rates and academic achievement among Black and Hispanic students. While advocating for Miami's immigrant students, he spoke openly about his own struggles as a young recent arrival from Portugal working in restaurants and construction while homeless at times. In Miami, Carvalho began his education career as a high school physics teacher in the 1980s and climbed the administrative ranks. He led the district for nearly 14 years.
Prior Ethics Questions
In 2020, a nonprofit he founded to support Miami schools drew scrutiny after it solicited a $1.57 million donation from an online education company doing business with the district. The district's inspector general later determined the donation didn't violate state or district ethics policies but did create the "appearance of impropriety" and should be returned, according to The Miami Herald. Instead of returning the funds, the foundation distributed the money to Miami-Dade teachers in the form of $100 gift cards.
Why This Matters:
The departure of Los Angeles Unified's superintendent amid a federal investigation into a failed $3 million technology contract raises critical questions about oversight and accountability in public education procurement. More than 500,000 students—many from working-class families who depend on quality public schools—now face leadership uncertainty at a time when stability matters most for educational outcomes. The collapse of the AllHere contract, which promised to help students through AI technology but ended in bankruptcy and fraud charges against its founder, underscores the need for stronger safeguards when districts invest taxpayer dollars in for-profit educational technology ventures. While no charges have been filed against Carvalho, the investigation highlights the importance of transparent contracting processes and robust ethics policies to protect public resources meant to serve students. The 2020 ethics questions in Miami further illustrate the ongoing challenge of maintaining clear boundaries between district leaders, nonprofit foundations, and companies seeking to do business with schools.