Los Angeles Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho Placed on Paid Leave Amid FBI Investigation
LOS ANGELES — Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of Los Angeles public schools—the nation’s second-largest district—was placed on paid leave Friday, two days after the FBI served search warrants at his home and the district’s headquarters.
Authorities have not disclosed details about the nature of the investigation involving the school district, which serves more than 500,000 students, nor have they accused Carvalho of any wrongdoing. Following two days of deliberation behind closed doors, the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education unanimously voted to place Carvalho on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Carvalho, who became superintendent in 2022, previously led Miami-Dade County Public Schools in Florida. During his leave, Andres Chait, the district’s chief of school operations, will take over leadership responsibilities.
“Our focus remains clear: to ensure stability, continuity, and strong leadership for our students, families, and employees,” Chait said in a statement.
Carvalho has not responded to requests for comment.
Broader FBI Searches and Investigation Context
In addition to searches in Los Angeles, the FBI also searched a third location near Miami on Wednesday. The Miami Herald reported that the Florida property belonged to Debra Kerr, who previously worked with AllHere, an education technology company that had a contract with Los Angeles schools before it collapsed and its leader was indicted for fraud.
In 2024, Carvalho had heavily promoted a deal with AllHere for an AI chatbot named “Ed,” designed to assist students. However, roughly three months after unveiling the technology and paying the company $3 million, the district ended its relationship with AllHere, which subsequently went bankrupt. Months later, AllHere’s founder Joanna Smith-Griffin was charged with securities and wire fraud, as well as identity theft.
The Los Angeles Unified School District said in a statement on Wednesday that it “is cooperating with the investigation and we do not have further information at this time.” Carvalho denied any personal involvement in selecting AllHere, according to the Los Angeles Times.
After Smith-Griffin was indicted, Carvalho announced plans to appoint a task force to examine what went wrong with the LA school district’s project. However, there have been no public updates on this task force since the announcement.
Connections and Financial Disputes Surrounding AllHere Deal
Debra Kerr, an education technology salesperson who connects companies with schools, reportedly claimed she was never paid a $630,000 commission for her work in closing the AllHere deal with the LA district. This information came from The 74, a news organization that covered AllHere’s bankruptcy hearings in 2024.
The 74 also reported that Kerr had longstanding ties to Carvalho dating back to his time overseeing the Florida district. Notably, Kerr’s son, who worked for AllHere, pitched the technology to Los Angeles school leaders after Carvalho took the helm there. Attempts by The Associated Press to reach Kerr for comment were unsuccessful.
A Career Marked by Recognition and Advocacy
Over the past five years in Los Angeles, Carvalho has earned praise for improvements in academic performance within the district. He received similar accolades while overseeing Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida’s largest district, where the National Superintendents Association named him Superintendent of the Year in 2014.
In 2021, Spain knighted the Portugal-born administrator for his work expanding Spanish-language programs in Miami-Dade schools. Later that year, Carvalho accepted the superintendent position in Los Angeles and emerged as a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, particularly in response to raids conducted in Los Angeles last year.
Leadership During Challenging Times
Carvalho arrived in Los Angeles at a critical juncture. The district was benefitting from significant state and federal COVID-19 relief funding but continued to face challenges related to the pandemic’s aftermath, including learning losses and declining enrollment.
Previously, Carvalho had publicly clashed with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over a mandate that schools not require masks during the pandemic.
The Miami-Dade school system released a statement acknowledging awareness of the investigation involving Carvalho but declined further comment.
Reporting by Watson from San Diego.
