LAUSD’s top education chief is leaving as the FBI probe has Carvalho on leave
Two of the Los Angeles school district’s top administrators in charge of education amid recent test-rate hikes are leaving as the school board continues to grapple with big budgets and student technology issues without its nationally admired and now largely silenced leader, Supt. Alberto Carvalho.
One important issue will move forward on Tuesday, as the board begins considering a new draft policy to limit students’ screen time, a move board members took after Carvalho was forced to step aside.
Carvalho has been on paid administrative leave since the FBI raided his home and office in February. That investigation appears to be connected to a district contractor hired to create a failed artificial intelligence chatbot for the school system.
In that effort and others, Carvalho has championed the use of technology to guide student progress.
He maintains that he is innocent and said in a statement in March that he wants to return to work. The school board instead named an acting superintendent pending further developments. There has been no public discussion about how long Carvalho will take time off.
The one who chooses to go is Deputy Supt. Instructor Karla Estrada, whose departure plans were announced shortly after the Board of Education approved her new contract in April. Estrada is the official directive of the district. Under him is the Chief Academic Officer, Francis Baez, who announced his retirement but agreed to continue in mid-August to help with the transition.
Travels below the level of superintendent rarely get widespread attention, but this one happened at one time. In addition to the two instructional leaders, Carvalho’s senior advisor, Jaime Torrens, and the head of the adult education unit, Renny Neyra, have not yet received or have not been offered contracts for the coming school year. Carvalho had worked with both in Florida, where he previously served as superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
The two leaders declined to be interviewed but issued statements about the region.
“Serving this community has been a highlight of my career, and the mission of improving outcomes for children will continue to drive everything I do,” Estrada said.
“I’m going to retire to spend time with my elderly mother, to travel, and to publish,” Baez said. “I leave with great satisfaction that I have improved the results of students since I entered the classroom … There is still more to do. I am proud to develop leaders throughout the system who are able to face today’s challenges.”
Carvalho’s lawyers did not comment on the personnel changes.
The high-profile move and Carvalho’s absence comes as the region looks to be academically successful, enjoying notable positive reviews, including twice last week.
First, researchers from Harvard and Stanford classified LA Unified as a “growing district,” citing educational improvement that outpaced the district and most districts in the nation. Later this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom praised LA Unified during the release of his proposed state budget.
A few months ago, at an event with Carvalho, Newsom congratulated the LA school board for awarding a second, four-year contract to Carvalho, who started with the district in February 2022.
“It’s absolutely true that LA Unified has greatly improved the state, and as LA Unified goes, the state of California goes,” Newsom said. “He made the decision to extend the term to use the best and most intelligent mind as superintendent in the United States of America.”
Despite relatively strong improvements, results remain a work in progress: LA’s combined reading and math scores are still just below the national average. In reading, the percentage of students who scored proficient or better was 46.5% in LA Unified and 48.8% in the state. Statistically, the figure was 36.8% for LA Unified and 37.3% for the state.
There is notable optimism about the region’s immediate future from Ana Ponce of GPSN, a local advocacy group and nonprofit.
“While the district is led by a superintendent who comes from outside the program, most of the leadership team comes from within LAUSD itself,” said Ponce. “That’s important because it shows that LAUSD has the talent, experience, and institutional knowledge inside to drive meaningful change.”
Former school board member Yolie Flores, who represented the north, northeast and southeast areas of the city, is concerned about Carvalho’s long absence and high-profile departures. Unless evidence of wrongdoing emerges, Carvalho should return, he said.
Before Carvalho, “the district wasn’t starting from scratch,” said Flores, who is president of the local nonprofit Families in Schools. “There were strong people throughout the program who worked hard on behalf of students and families. At the same time, I think Carvalho brought a level of urgency, focus, and execution that made a difference.”
Flores also praised Estrada, the former executive director in Boston.
“Building coherence in a district the size of LAUSD is very difficult. It requires constant attention, alignment, communication, and follow-up,” he said. “You don’t get results by announcing plans. You get results with disciplined execution over time.”
The role of the school board
School board member Tanya Ortiz Franklin said the school board remains ethical and effective.
“The board is the most united I’ve had in the nearly six years I’ve been on the board,” said Franklin. “We know about our goals and how to achieve them, and we hope that the systems and structures remain stable, in any change.”
This week, ongoing district business includes final approval of layoffs that are part of the fiscal stabilization plan — as the state’s school budget picture has improved with the release of Newsom’s new budget plan.
In Carvalho’s absence, one of his signature programs is being updated — the extensive use of a computer platform called iReady, which monitors student progress through online tests so that student learning can be customized.
A recent old board decision calls for a policy to be written to limit the time students spend in front of computer screens – and iReady will be considered.
“The district currently recommends that students complete approximately 45 minutes of English language arts lessons and one-on-one math lessons in the i-Ready environment each week,” the decision said. “However, the District does not have a policy that defines a recommended and maximum amount of total screen time for students on District devices during the school day.”
Carvalho noted iReady as reducing the total amount of testing time set up by integrating it. iReady’s contract, with a company called Curriculum Associates, is for up to $20 million from 2023 to 2028.
The county finds itself in the unusual position of paying two superintendents.
Carvalho’s salary, unchanged from his first contract, is $440,000 a year and a $50,000 annual contribution to a retirement pension, among other benefits. Acting Supt. Andres Chait, home director, former head of school operations earned $278,205. In his new role, his annual salary is $395,867. And you have $250 a month for expenses and a driver.
Estrada’s annual salary was received in April at $377,418; Baez’s salary, on an annual basis, was $278,205.
