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Los Angeles Unified schools Supt. Alberto Carvalho, who has been under FBI investigation for four months, has resigned as leader of the nation’s second-largest school system, bringing a breathtaking end to one of the district’s most consequential and high-profile tenures.
Carvalho sent a resignation letter late Sunday to the L.A. Unified School District and to individual members of the Board of Education.
“It has been a great honor to serve you,” Carvalho began in a letter addressed to “the students, families, teachers, staff, and community of LAUSD.”
“Over the past four years, together, we have made historic progress — gains that belong to our students, our educators, staff and our communities,” Carvalho said. His letter only hinted at the reason behind the resignation and made no direct mention of the early morning FBI raids at his home and district office in late February that prompted his placement on paid leave and the appointment of an acting superintendent.
“Placing students first has always guided my work,” Carvalho said. “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.”
Within hours, the school board responded.
“The Board remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring stability, continuity, and continued progress through strong leadership,” the statement 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.”
The statement confirmed that veteran administrator Andres Chait will continue as acting superintendent “until a permanent decision is made.”
It’s not clear whether Carvalho’s departure comes with a negotiated settlement. His contract sets a minimum of a 12-month payout were the district to terminate his employment without cause.
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Federal authorities raided the home and office of Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Alberto Carvalho in what appears to be a probe related to a company that developed an AI chatbot for the school system.
According to law enforcement sources, the federal investigation is tied at least in part to Carvalho’s interaction with a subcontractor that brought a failed artificial intelligence chatbot venture to the district. In his only previous public statement since the raids, issued through his attorneys, he said that he committed no wrongdoing. He also said in that March statement that he wanted to return to work.
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 raids.
Pedro Noguera, dean of the USC Rossier School of Education, is among those assessing the resignation.
“This is a disappointing end to an impressive career of one of the nation’s most successful educational leaders,” Noguera said. “Carvalho’s accomplishments in Miami were truly noteworthy and he seemed to have been making progress in L.A. But, with this ongoing investigation, he leaves under a cloud.”
Carvalho’s letter focused on achievements, citing widely noted gains in state test scores, a new high for the graduation rate, an improved record on Advanced Placement courses and tests, and voter approval of the district’s largest-ever school modernization bond.
“Most importantly,” Carvalho added, “our progress has been equitable. 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.”
Carvalho’s time in charge was marked by academic growth and widespread acclaim — and his emergence as a voice for immigrant families who became the target of aggressive deportation actions with the arrival of the second Trump administration.
He also took a poke at President Trump and efforts to cut education spending and close the U.S. Department of Education during his opening of schools address this year.
“The federal government swung its budget ax with all the care of a toddler running with scissors,” Carvalho said.
During his four-year tenure, Carvalho weathered some hard knocks, including a massive cyberattack on the school system and the alleged misspending of money intended for arts education.
Then came the lightning bolt — the Feb. 25 FBI raids on Carvalho’s home and office. Those coincided with a raid in Florida at the home of education sales consultant Debra Kerr, a longtime professional associate of Carvalho.
Kerr, like Carvalho, has not been charged with wrongdoing.
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Parents commend the choice of Andres Chait as acting superintendent as LAUSD grapples with an ongoing inquiry into Supt. Alberto Carvalho after recent FBI raids.
The federal investigation relates to Carvalho’s interaction with one or more contractors. One element under review was the district’s contract with AllHere, a now-defunct company..
Amid much fanfare in March 2024, Carvalho unveiled “Ed” — AllHere’s AI chatbot, which was supposed to guide families through their child’s education. The project had to be unplugged within months — before being widely deployed — when the company behind it collapsed.
The company’s founder soon faced federal charges, and ultimately, Carvalho would be pulled into the investigation as a person of interest.
On Monday, the FBI declined to comment about the case, as did the U.S. attorney’s office. The U.S. Justice Department had no immediate response.
The financial cost of the chatbot failure — so far — has been about $3 million, according to L.A. Unified.
Two days after the FBI raids, on Feb. 27, the Board of Education placed Carvalho on paid administrative leave while temporarily installing Chait.
Chait and other district officials narrowly averted a three-union strike in April with agreements that restored labor peace — but left critics questioning whether the school system could afford the pact, and whether Carvalho would have held out for a more affordable deal.
Some union leaders viewed Carvalho warily — in part because of his high-profile public relations moves and outsider status in the district — although they have not attacked him with the intensity of some past superintendents. Last week, in interviews with The Times, the leaders of the two largest unions — United Teachers Los Angeles and Service Employees International Union Local 99 — called for Carvalho to be replaced.
The uncertainty of Carvalho’s status has hung over the district — and some have criticized his paid leave as the district struggles with budget stress and employee layoffs.
L.A. Unified remains under intense federal scrutiny and is the target of at least three federal probes.
The Trump administration, for example, is examining whether the district discriminates against white students by offering slightly smaller classes and some additional counseling to schools that are predominantly nonwhite. A second investigation is looking into whether the popular Black Student Achievement Plan provides illegal advantages to Black students based on their race. Also, the Department of Education is investigating the district’s policies involving teachers accused of sexual misconduct.
The district defends its conduct as legal and, last week, restored funding to the Black Student Achievement Plan that was at risk because of a budget cut.
Carvalho arrived at LAUSD in February 2022 as a nationally acclaimed superintendent, after leading Miami-Dade County Public Schools for 14 years.
Hired for four years at a salary of $440,000, Carvalho quickly adopted a strategic plan that included detailed, regular review of a school’s test scores — from both the annual state tests and periodic district assessments.
He also took steps to prevent fentanyl overdoses and reduce absenteeism. His effort to offer enrichment and catch-up work during intercessions got off to a slow start but has become a recurring instructional program.
The school system received significant state and national praise for improved test scores. Although it took five years to surpass pre-pandemic levels, the pace of recovery and improvement surpassed that of most school systems.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has praised Carvalho as a national education leader.
Carvalho’s struggles included a three-day strike in March 2023, followed by large salary increases, especially for lower-paid non-teaching employees.
The district continues to face ongoing challenges from declining enrollment and chronic absenteeism — both apparently exacerbated by federal deportation threats, according to some experts. District officials forecast thousands of layoffs over the next three years.
Last September, every school board member praised Carvalho after the unanimous approval of his new four-year contract.
“He has led with empathy, courage, and a relentless drive to expand opportunities for all students,” board member Karla Griego said at the time. “I look forward to what we will accomplish together in the years ahead.”
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Howard Blume covers education for the Los Angeles Times. He’s won the top investigative reporting prize from the L.A. Press Club and print Journalist of the Year from the L.A. Society of Professional Journalists chapter. He recently retired “Deadline L.A.,” a past honoree for best public-affairs radio program, which he produced and co-hosted on KPFK-FM (90.7) for 15 years. He teaches tap dancing and has two superior daughters.
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