Former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho failed to report at least $107,000 earned from a side business providing executive coaching services, according to a recent report. These allegations come as an FBI investigation into Carvalho's conduct continues.
Carvalho, who led the nation's second-largest school district and earned a salary of $440,000 in Los Angeles, resigned on June 21. This occurred nearly four months after the LAUSD Board of Education placed him on paid leave. His resignation followed a threat from the board to dismiss him "for cause," stemming from his alleged failure to report travel and baseball tickets provided by a tech vendor.
Coaching Services for Denver Superintendent
The new allegations suggest Carvalho violated laws requiring public officials to disclose outside income. Between November 2022 and January 2024, Carvalho reportedly submitted invoices totaling at least $107,000 for "executive coaching" services provided to Alex Marrero, the superintendent of Denver Public Schools. The coaching arrangement began in mid-2022, initially at $2,000 per month, increasing to $3,000 per month in early 2023.
Denver Public Schools spokesman Bill Good stated that Marrero ended his formal coaching relationship with Carvalho in February, coinciding with the LAUSD board placing Carvalho on leave following FBI raids.
FBI Investigation and Unreported Benefits
Federal officials have not disclosed the specific charges Carvalho may face, but sources familiar with the investigation indicate the probe is ongoing. Potential federal charges could include fraud, tax evasion, or making false statements, often linked to the non-disclosure of financial payments to public officials.
FBI agents executed search warrants in February at Carvalho's residence in Palos Verdes, LAUSD headquarters, and the Miami home of Debra Kerr, a former consultant with the tech firm AllHere. AllHere, an artificial-intelligence company, had developed a chatbot for LAUSD that reportedly malfunctioned shortly after its release. The company's founder, Joanna Smith-Griffin, was charged with fraud in 2024. The LAUSD board's letter warning Carvalho of potential termination for cause cited AllHere's payment for a 2023 White House trip taken by Carvalho as an undisclosed financial benefit.
Resignation and Replacement
Carvalho, a former superintendent of Miami's public schools and a past recipient of the Superintendent of the Year award, has denied any wrongdoing through his attorneys. He resigned from his $440,000-a-year position without explicitly mentioning the FBI raids in his resignation letter.
The LAUSD board officially appointed Andres Chait as the new superintendent on June 24. Chait, a long-time Los Angeles educator, had served as the district's interim leader after Carvalho was placed on leave.
Carvalho has put his Palos Verdes home on the market for $1,899,000. He previously led Miami's public schools before taking the helm at LAUSD.