Griffin Board of Education Meeting: Scrutiny Surrounds Superintendent Alberto Carvalho Amidst Federal Investigation
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is facing a period of intense scrutiny as its governing board convenes a closed-door session to address the situation surrounding Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. This meeting follows the execution of FBI search warrants at Carvalho's home and the district's headquarters. The unfolding events have cast a shadow over Carvalho's leadership and raised questions about the district's dealings with technology companies.
Investigation and the Board of Education Meeting
The Board of Education has scheduled a special afternoon meeting to discuss Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, according to the calendar for the Board of Education. However, no additional details were provided. The district issued a statement Wednesday, saying it "is cooperating with the investigation and we do not have further information at this time.” Federal authorities have not provided details of the nature of the investigation involving the nation’s second-largest school district.
FBI Searches and Miami Connection
In addition to the searches in Los Angeles, the FBI also searched a third location near Miami, where Carvalho previously led the public schools. The Miami Herald reported the Florida home 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. The FBI's Miami office confirmed agents searched a residence in Southwest Ranches, which is in Broward County west of Fort Lauderdale, on Wednesday morning.
AllHere Controversy
The current situation is further complicated by scrutiny of a previous deal between LAUSD and AllHere, an education technology company. In 2024, Carvalho heavily touted a deal with AllHere for an AI chatbot named “Ed” designed to help students. He went to conferences with AllHire’s founder to promote the chatbot, calling it “unprecedented in American public education.” The district invested heavily in the technology, with Carvalho himself promoting it at conferences, calling it "unprecedented in American public education." However, the relationship soured quickly. About three months after unveiling the technology and paying the company $3 million, the district dropped its dealings with AllHere, which collapsed into bankruptcy. Months later, founder Joanna Smith-Griffin was charged with securities and wire fraud, along with identity theft.
Carvalho denied personal involvement in the selection of AllHere, according to the Los Angeles Times. After Smith-Griffin was indicted, Carvalho said he would appoint a task force to examine what went wrong with the LA school district's project, but there have been no public announcements about it since.
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Kerr's Involvement and Connections
Debra Kerr, whose Florida home was searched by the FBI, is an education technology salesperson who connects companies with schools. Kerr said she was never paid her $630,000 commission for her work in closing the AllHere deal with the LA district, according to a news organization, The 74, that covered the company’s bankruptcy hearings in 2024. The 74 reported that Kerr had longstanding ties with Carvalho from when he oversaw the Florida district and that her son who worked for AllHere pitched the technology to LA school leaders after he took over the helm there. The Associated Press was unable to reach Kerr for comment.
Carvalho's Background and Achievements
Over the past five years in Los Angeles, Carvalho has been lauded for the district's improvements to academic performance. He won similar praise while overseeing Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida’s largest school district, where the national superintendents association named him Superintendent of the Year in 2014. Spain knighted the Portugal-born administrator in 2021 for his work in expanding Spanish-language programs for Miami-Dade County schools.
Challenges and Criticisms
Months later, Carvalho took the job in California and became a harsh critic of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown, especially following raids in Los Angeles last year. Carvalho arrived in Los Angeles at a critical moment, as the district found itself flush with funding from state and federal COVID-19 relief money but still struggling with the impacts of the pandemic, including learning losses and declining enrollment. He previously sparred with Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis over his order that schools not require masks during the pandemic.
Miami-Dade's Response
The Miami-Dade school system said in a statement that it was aware of the investigation involving Carvalho but did not have any comment at this time.
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