School Chief Steps Down After FBI Review

The head of Los Angeles’ public schools quit his job this weekend, four months after authorities searched his home and district offices with a federal warrant. Alberto Carvalho told families he was leaving so schools could keep teaching kids instead of getting tangled in investigations. His resignation letter never mentioned the FBI raid or the board putting him on paid leave right after the searches. While Carvalho denied any wrongdoing, the shadow of scrutiny remained large. Newspapers later linked the probe to AllHere, an education company that sold LAUSD an AI chatbot for $3 million. The firm went bankrupt months later, and its founder was charged with fraud. Authorities haven’t explained what the investigation involves or whether Carvalho played any role.Carvalho arrived in LA in 2022, bringing a reputation earned in Miami where he boosted graduation rates for Black and Hispanic students despite his own tough start as a teen immigrant from Portugal who sometimes slept in shelters. Under his watch, Los Angeles students made strides past state averages and recovered from pandemic setbacks while voters approved the largest school construction fund in district history. Just weeks before the FBI search, the board had signed Carvalho to another four-year term at $440, 000 a year, the same pay he kept since 2022. Now acting superintendent Andrés Chait stays on while the board searches for a permanent replacement and promises to keep schools steady during the change. Earlier scrutiny followed a Miami nonprofit he led when it took a $1. 57 million donation from an online learning company doing business with the district. Though no ethics rules were broken, the inspector general called it improper and suggested returning the money, but the foundation instead gave teachers $100 gift cards.