LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho was riding high. An FBI investigation sent it all crashing down
Your morning catch up: LAUSD’s superintendent resignation stuns, Karen Bass takes heat over Boyle Heights fire and more big stories
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Four months ago, LAUSD Supt. Alberto Carvalho was riding high. He had just started a new four-year contract after leading the second-largest school district in the country through a much-heralded post-pandemic transformation.
Days later, it came crashing down when the FBI raided his home and office and he went on paid leave.
The saga flew back into the spotlight late Sunday night when Carvalho resigned his post so that the district could “remain focused on students and learning without distraction,” he wrote in a resignation letter.
The FBI raid in late February was part of an ongoing investigation tied, at least in part, to his interaction with a contractor that brought a failed artificial intelligence chatbot venture to the district.
His late-night resignation, my colleague Howard Blume wrote, was “a breathtaking end to one of the district’s most consequential and high-profile tenures.”
Carvalho led the district to significant academic gains
Carvalho, 61, arrived at LAUSD in February 2022 amid a pandemic-related plunge in student academic achievement, a spike in chronic absenteeism and a sharp decline in enrollment that threatened state funding, which is based on average daily attendance.
The district made significant academic gains under his leadership. In January, Gov. Gavin Newsom praised Carvalho in his State of the State address, saying LAUSD was “outpacing statewide progress” and “exceeding pre-pandemic levels in every category.”
Carvalho touted these successes in his resignation letter, too.
“Low-income students, students with disabilities, foster youth, and Black and Latino students all exceeded their pre-pandemic performance — an outcome that reflects the hard work and commitment of so many across this District,” he wrote.
Carvalho’s victories came despite enormous unexpected challenges.
Schools were closed during the deadly Eaton and Palisades fires, which destroyed the homes of many students and staff and ravaged multiple campuses.
And as undocumented families in the majority-Latino district feared immigration agents would target school campuses amid President Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown in Los Angeles, Carvalho and other district officials worked to shield their children.
“Carvalho’s resignation was virtually unimaginable earlier this year in the wake of his new four-year contract, which took effect in February, days before the [FBI] raids,” Blume wrote.
A federal investigation and ‘Ed’ the AI chatbot
Federal authorities’ Feb. 25 raids of Carvalho’s home and office coincided with a raid at the Florida home of education sales consultant Debra Kerr, a longtime professional associate of Carvalho whose clients included AllHere, a failed AI company.
Kerr, like Carvalho, has not been charged with wrongdoing, Blume reported.
In March 2024, Carvalho unveiled AllHere’s AI chatbot — named “Ed” — which was supposed to assist families with their child’s education. The project was scrapped within months because the company collapsed after its founder was charged with fraud.
Blume reported that the financial cost of the chatbot failure has been about $3 million.
Carvalho’s acting replacement has already survived tough crises
The district’s Board of Education placed Carvalho on leave two days after the FBI raids and installed veteran administrator Andres Chait as acting superintendent.
The board announced Monday that Chait will continue in the role “until a permanent decision is made.” In April, Chait and other district officials narrowly avoided a strike by three unions — representing teachers, support staff and administrators — that would have shut down campuses.
While on leave, Carvalho — who earned $440,000 annually plus an annual $50,000 retirement annuity — continued to be paid.
Blume reported that critics noted he was taking paid leave as the district struggles with budget stress and employee layoffs.
But, Blume told me, “he was not and has not been charged with anything and maintained his innocence. He wanted to return to work.”
On Monday, the Board of Education said in a statement that it was committed to “ensuring stability” in the wake of Carvalho’s departure.
More on LAUSD
Today’s top stories
Boyle Heights storage facility
- Residents and business owners report health concerns, disrupted routines and significant economic losses due to heavy smoke from the cold storage facility burning in Boyle Heights.
- The company that owns the burning warehouse is billed as the world’s largest owner of cold-storage facilities and raised $4.44 billion in its U.S. initial public offering in 2024, the largest stock market debut of the year.
- Meanwhile, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is once again dealing with blowback for being out of town when a massive fire ignited.
Elections and spending
- L.A. voters will be asked to increase taxes yet again. Will they do it for firefighters?
- The California Legislature will vote on a constitutional amendment to give lawmakers more flexibility over how they appropriate state revenue.
High-profile cases
- Arson or fireworks? A jury will decide whether the Palisades fire was set intentionally or not.
- The man accused of killing actor James Handy was found mentally incompetent for prosecution.
Tech stocks took a big hit
- Investors on Tuesday continued to sell off shares of companies that have powered the artificial intelligence boom.
- Sky-high valuations and geopolitical tensions have some investors questioning if massive AI spending will pay off, analysts say.
What else is going on
- The gunman in Monday’s deadly California library shooting wanted to do a Columbine-style massacre, police say.
- A man reportedly fell from the nearly 600-foot Nevada Fall in Yosemite. An investigation is underway.
- A Laguna Beach mansion sold for $110 million, shattering O.C. price record.
Commentary and opinions
- Film director Roshan Sethi asks: Is Hollywood done catering to diverse audiences?
- Brady Tillett is detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the California City Detention Facility in Kern County. In this essay, he describes the experience.
This morning’s must-read
I enjoy a good coaster, but I’m a tad squeamish. So I asked a Universal exec for the play-by-play of exactly what riders can expect.
For your downtime
Going out
- World Cup games: This is how much fans spent to attend the World Cup in L.A.
- Summer vacation: Travel the world with these 12 global (and local) dining guides.
- Museums: California Science Center announces an opening date to view the Space Shuttle Endeavour in a launch position.
Staying in
- Books: Ru Marshall’s new biography “American Trickster” unmasks bestselling author Carlos Castaneda’s evolution from UCLA grad student to manipulative cult figure.
- 🥗 Here’s a recipe for Hawa Hassan’s Fried Cauliflower with Tahini
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.
Question of the day: What’s your favorite hike?
Karen K writes: My absolute favorite hike is La Tuna Canyon off the 210 freeway between the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys.
Coby K writes: My favorite lesser-known hike, one that I’ve done literally hundreds of times, is from a trailhead on Mulholland Highway up to Calabasas Peak.
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And finally ... the photo of the day
Today’s great photo is from L.A. Times photographer Genaro Molina of a patient receiving an eye exam.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Hailey Branson-Potts, staff writer
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, Fast Break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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