L.A. Unified Superintendent Resigns Amid FBI Probe Into Chatbot Contract

By Carolyn Jones, CalMatters

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Alberto Carvalho, who won widespread praise for helping shepherd Los Angeles Unified out of the COVID-19 pandemic, resigned as the district’s superintendent Sunday amid an FBI probe apparently linked to a failed AI chatbot contract that he promoted.

The Los Angeles Times first reported on the resignation. CalMatters reported on the chatbot debacle.

Carvalho has denied any wrongdoing.

In an open letter to the school board and community, he said, “It has been a great honor to serve you. Over the past four years, together, we have made historic progress. 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.”

The district in a written statement on behalf of the school board said the acting superintendent, Andrés Chait, will remain in the job until the board picks Carvalho’s successor.

“The Board remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring stability, continuity, and continued progress through strong leadership,” the district 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.”

A former superintendent in Miami, Carvalho was a national star in education circles when Los Angeles Unified hired him in February 2022, a few months after schools re-opened to in-person learning. Under his tenure, English language arts test scores rose more than 5 percentage points and math scores jumped almost 8 points — a recovery that far outpaced the state average. Graduation rates also climbed.

He also gained attention for efforts to boost attendance, which had lagged in Los Angeles and elsewhere in the wake of pandemic school closures. He went door-to-door to convince students to return to school, and invested in billboards, bus ads and other outreach efforts to increase enrollment in transitional kindergarten.     

As the Trump administration cracked down on immigration, Carvalho — himself a formerly undocumented immigrant — became an outspoken advocate for immigrant students’ right to attend school. Among other things, the district set up a 24-hour hotline and workshops addressing immigrants’ legal rights, offered free legal assistance through local nonprofits, and established a virtual academy for students who’re afraid to leave the house due to the risk of deportation.  

“At a time when immigrant students and families experienced fear and uncertainty, Superintendent Carvalho used his voice and position to affirm that all children deserve safe, welcoming schools,” said Families in Schools, a parent advocacy group in Los Angeles which earlier this month recognized Carvalho with a “Courage in Leadership” award. “His steadfast support for immigrant communities reflected the values that define Los Angeles and the very best of public education leadership.”

The FBI raided Carvalho’s home and office in February, just after the district renewed his contract. He had been on leave since then. 

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.