Staff Reports
Alberto Carvalho has resigned as Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. His resignation became effective June 21, 2026, after months on paid administrative leave following FBI search warrants at his home and district offices. The move ends a high‑profile stint in charge of the nation’s second‑largest school system, but it raises more questions than it answers.
Federal probe tied to failed AI vendor
News reports link the federal investigation to AllHere, the startup behind LAUSD’s short‑lived AI chatbot dubbed “Ed.” AllHere’s founder, Joanna Smith‑Griffin, has been indicted on charges including securities and wire fraud. The startup collapsed after the project fizzled, and now prosecutors are looking at how that contract happened. Importantly, no criminal charges have been filed against Carvalho as of now.
Questions about payoffs and secrecy
Carvalho was put on paid leave after the FBI searches and now has quietly stepped down. His contract reportedly calls for a 12‑month minimum payout if the district fires him without cause, but it’s not clear whether any settlement was negotiated. Taxpayers deserve to know if public money is being used to paper over problems, yet the board and district have offered only stock answers about “continuity” and “stability.”
What happens next for LAUSD
Acting Superintendent Andrés Chait will run the district while the board picks a permanent replacement. LAUSD serves more than half a million students, so leadership matters. The real task now is a full review of procurement practices, vendor vetting and internal controls. If a flashy AI pitch can dodge scrutiny and land a multimillion‑dollar deal, the system that greenlit it needs reform — fast.
Call for transparency and accountability
Resignation is not the same as an answer. Journalists and the public should push the district for Carvalho’s contract, any settlement documents, procurement records for AllHere, and the board minutes that approved or discussed the deal. Prosecutors should be urged to unseal any filings that clarify the facts. Until then, families and taxpayers are left with a costly lesson: shiny technology won’t fix schools if human oversight is missing — and it sure won’t save reputations when the lights come on.
