Ex Miami-Dade superintendent Alberto Carvalho resigns from LA role amid FBI inquiry

Education admin June 22, 2026 0 Comments

Ex Miami-Dade superintendent Alberto Carvalho resigns from LA role amid FBI inquiry

Four years after leaving Miami-Dade County Public Schools for one of the nation’s most prominent education jobs, Alberto Carvalho has resigned as superintendent of Los Angeles schools amid an FBI investigation.

The FBI has conducted raids on Carvalho’s Los Angeles home and office as part of a probe into a multimillion-dollar contract awarded to a failed AI-focused education company. Investigators also raided the Broward County home of a lobbyist connected to the deal.

Carvalho led Miami-Dade public schools for 14 years before joining Los Angeles Unified School District in Feb. 2022.

The lobbyist, Debra Kerr, had previously sold hundreds of thousands worth of textbooks to the Miami-Dade County school district and was retained as a salesperson for the startup chatbot company when it dealt with the Los Angeles district.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Carvalho’s resignation letter centered around student gains in Los Angeles during his tenure. He wrote in the letter that he resigned Sunday “because I believe our schools must remain focused on students and learning without distraction.”

He listed off improvements on state testing metrics, graduation rates and more in his letter, per the outlet.

“Most importantly, 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 wrote.

Carvalho was largely popular when he led Miami’s public schools. Having come to the United States as an undocumented immigrant from Portugal when he was 17 years old, he also positioned himself as vocal critic of the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

His tenure in Miami was not without its own controversies, which included a romantic emails being released between him and a former Miami Herald reporter, a fake Instagram account trolling him with accusations of cheating on his wife and an Inspector General investigation into a nonprofit he started, which found no violations of state law.

After the FBI raid, which were conducted in late February, Carvalho was placed on indefinite administrative leave. He makes $440,000 a year. A senior school district official, Andres Chait, was then named acting superintendent.

In a statement released Monday morning, the Los Angeles Unified Board of Education wrote that Chait would remain as acting superintendent “until a permanent decision is made.” They also acknowledged receipt of Carvalho’s letter of resignation.

“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 wrote.

This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 11:03 AM.