LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Unified schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, who has been under FBI investigation for four months, resigned Sunday night as leader of the nation's second-largest school system, bringing a breathtaking end to one of the district's most consequential and high-profile tenures.

Carvalho's legal team confirmed that he sent a resignation letter late Sunday to the L.A. Unified School District and to individual members of the Board of Education.

"It has been a great honor to serve you," Carvalho began in a letter addressed to "the students, families, teachers, staff, and community of LAUSD."

"Over the past four years, together, we have made historic progress — gains that belong to our students, our educators, staff and our communities," Carvalho said. His letter only hinted at the reason behind the resignation and made no direct mention of the early morning FBI raid at his home and district office in late February, which prompted his placement on paid leave and the appointment of an acting superintendent.

"Placing students first has always guided my work," Carvalho said. "Because I believe our schools must remain focused on students and learning without distraction, I am resigning as Superintendent of LAUSD effective today, June 21, 2026."

It's not clear whether Carvalho's departure comes with a negotiated settlement. His contract sets a minimum of a 12-month payout were the district to terminate his employment without cause.

According to law enforcement sources, the federal investigation is tied at least in part to Carvalho's interaction with a subcontractor that brought a failed AI chatbot venture to the district. In his only previous public statement since the raid, issued through his attorneys, he said that he committed no wrongdoing. He also said in that March statement that he wanted to return to work.

His resignation letter focused on achievements, citing widely noted gains in state test scores, a record graduation rate, an improved record on Advanced Placement courses and tests, and voter approval of the district's largest-ever school modernization bond.

"Most importantly," he added, "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's time in charge was marked by academic growth and widespread acclaim — and his emergence as a voice for immigrant families who became the target of aggressive deportation actions with the arrival of the second Trump administration.

L.A. Unified, meanwhile, also became a target of the Trump administration, which reopened an investigation into a program that provided support for Black students and other students with similar needs.

During his four-year tenure, Carvalho weathered some hard knocks and navigated high-profile controversies unrelated to the Trump administration — including a massive cyberattack on the school system, the alleged misspending of money intended for arts education and the failed artificial intelligence project.

Carvalho remains under federal investigation

Then came the lightning bolt — the Feb. 25 FBI raid on Carvalho's home and office, which coincided with a raid in Florida at the home of education sales consultant Debra Kerr, a longtime professional associate of Carvalho.

Kerr, like Carvalho, has not been charged with wrongdoing.

The federal investigation relates to Carvalho's interaction with one or more contractors. One element under review was the district's contract with AllHere, a now-defunct company that produced an ill-fated chatbot — which was supposed to use artificial intelligence to revolutionize education but instead was unplugged after several months.

Two days after the FBI raid, on Feb. 27, the Board of Education placed Carvalho on paid administrative leave.

The board appointed veteran district administrator Andres Chait as acting superintendent. Chait narrowly averted a three-union strike in April with agreements that restored labor peace — but left critics questioning whether the school system could afford the pact, and whether Carvalho would have held out for a more affordable deal.

Some union leaders viewed Carvalho warily, although they have not attacked him with the intensity of some past superintendents. Last week, in interviews with The Times, the leaders of the two largest unions — United Teachers Los Angeles and Service Employees International Union Local 99 — called for Carvalho to be replaced.

The uncertainty of Carvalho's status has hung over the district since the raid — and some have criticized his paid leave as the district struggles with budget stress and employee layoffs.

The ordeal for Carvalho does not end. He remains the focus of a federal investigation whose direction has not been officially disclosed. There is no announced timeline related to this probe.

Nor is L.A. Unified relieved of intense federal scrutiny. With or without Carvalho, L.A. Unified is the target of at least two federal probes.

The Trump administration is examining whether the district discriminates against white students by offering slightly smaller classes and some additional counseling to schools that are predominantly nonwhite. A second investigation is looking into whether the popular Black Student Achievement Plan provides illegal advantages to Black students based on their race.

The district defends its conduct as legal and, last week, restored funding to the Black Student Achievement Plan. The funding had been on the table for a sharp reduction as one of many proposed cuts to avoid insolvency in two to three years.

High profile arrival and tenure

Carvalho arrived at LAUSD in February 2022 as a nationally acclaimed superintendent, after leading Miami-Dade County Public Schools for 14 years.

Hired for four years at a salary of $440,000, Carvalho quickly adopted a strategic plan that included detailed, regular review of a school's test scores — from both the annual state tests and periodic district assessments.

He also took steps to prevent fentanyl overdoses and reduce absenteeism. His effort to offer enrichment and catch-up work during intercessions got off to a slow start but has become a recurring instructional program.

The school system received significant state and national praise for improved test scores. Although it took five years to surpass pre-pandemic levels, the pace of recovery and improvement surpassed that of most school systems.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has praised Carvalho as a national education leader.

Carvalho's struggles included a three-day strike in March 2023. What followed were large salary increases, especially for low-salaried nonteaching employees, though there were significant raises for all categories of workers.

The district continues to face ongoing challenges from declining enrollment and chronic absenteeism — both apparently exacerbated by federal deportation threats, according to some experts.

An apparent high point that became an embarrassment was the March 2024 unveiling of "Ed" — an artificial intelligence chatbot that was supposed to guide families through their child's education and broader development. The project had to be unplugged within months — before being widely deployed — when the company behind it collapsed.

The company's founder soon faced federal charges and ultimately Carvalho would be pulled into this investigation as a person of interest.

The financial cost of the chatbot failure — so far — has been about $3 million, according to L.A. Unified.

Last September the school board unanimously approved a new four-year contract for Carvalho.

"Superintendent Carvalho understands that every decision must serve the best interests of our children," board member Karla Griego said at the time. "He has led with empathy, courage, and a relentless drive to expand opportunities for all students. I look forward to what we will accomplish together in the years ahead."

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