Alberto Carvalho takes over as new LAUSD superintendent

Alberto Carvalho will officially take over as superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District Monday.

“We are all very excited to welcome Superintendent Carvalho to the Los Angeles Unified School District,” the board said in a brief announcement last week after voting to formalize his start date.

Carvalho, who comes to the district after leading the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system since 2008, was unanimously chosen by the board on Dec. 9 to succeed Austin Beutner, who stepped down in June. Megan K. Reilly has been serving as interim superintendent of the nation’s second-largest school district.

Carvalho is beginning a four-year contract with a base salary of $440,000 per year that was approved by the board on Dec. 14. He also received $50,000 in relocation costs, a district-provided vehicle and cell phone, retirement plan, and standard vacation, sick time and health benefits.

“I’m excited about this opportunity,” Carvalho said at the time of his hiring.

Speaking to the board following the vote on his contract, Carvalho added, “My excitement is a reflection not only of the opportunity that Los Angeles offers to all of us, but also reciprocally and with equal weight the responsibility we have to emerge from this (COVID-19) crisis stronger than we entered it, eliminating the gaps that currently exist, stabilizing conditions that are so prevalent throughout the country, and really in a very forceful, respectful, compassionate way, recognize the needs of students, their parents, the families and certainly our workforce.

“… I commit to you and this community to work every single day in a determined way that elevates the dignity and humanity of all children and every person who believes and impacts their future. And I know and can assure you, together we will accomplish great things,” he added.

Born in Portugal, Carvalho previously taught physics, chemistry and calculus in Miami and was later an assistant principal at Miami Jackson Senior High School.

In the midst of the district’s superintendent search last year, the LAUSD released the results of a sweeping survey of district parents and other stakeholders — with 90% of them saying the next superintendent should have experience working in public schools as a teacher or administrator. When Beutner was hired, he had no formal experience in public education, although he ultimately earned positive reviews for his leadership of the district during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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