LOS ANGELES — The head of Los Angeles public schools has stepped down, four months after being placed on paid leave while federal investigators looked into the district, the Board of Education announced Monday.
Alberto Carvalho had previously denied any wrongdoing and had pushed to be reinstated to lead the district, which enrolls more than 500,000 students.
On February 25, FBI agents executed search warrants at Carvalho’s home and at LA Unified School District headquarters. Just two days after those searches, the Board of Education voted unanimously to place him on administrative leave while the investigation continued.
In a statement released early Monday morning, the Board confirmed it had received Carvalho’s letter of resignation, which took effect as of Sunday.
“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,” the board said in its statement.
The board also noted that Andrés Chait, who has been serving as acting superintendent, will continue in that role until a permanent decision is reached.
Federal authorities have not disclosed what specifically is being investigated, nor have they charged Carvalho with any crimes.
In addition to the two LA-area locations, the FBI also searched a third site near Miami. The Miami Herald reported that the Florida property belonged to Debra Kerr, who had previously worked with AllHere, an education technology company that held a contract with the Los Angeles school district before going under. AllHere’s founder was later indicted on fraud charges.
Back in 2024, Carvalho was a vocal champion of a deal with AllHere for an artificial intelligence chatbot called “Ed,” which was intended to assist students. However, roughly three months after the technology was unveiled and the district had paid the company $3 million, LA Unified cut ties with AllHere, which subsequently filed for bankruptcy. Months later, founder Joanna Smith-Griffin was charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, and identity theft.
At the time, Carvalho denied having any personal role in choosing AllHere, according to the Los Angeles Times.
His legal team at Holland & Knight released a statement saying: “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.”
A message seeking further comment was sent to the law firm on Monday.
Following the search of district headquarters, LA Unified had said it was cooperating with investigators and had no additional information to share.
Carvalho took over as superintendent of the Los Angeles district in 2022, having previously led the public school system in Miami.
