Miami-Dade County Public School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has announced that he will become the superintendent for the public school system in Los Angeles.
Carvalho, age 57, has been the superintendent since 2008. He made the announcement at iPrep Academy where he also serves as principal. Carvalho said he will always care about Miami.
Carvalho has received credit for improving the academic standing of Miami Public Schools. Carvalho said he is proud to have pulled the district from financial bankruptcy and academic failure where many schools were receiving D and F grades and graduation rates were about 58 percent. Now the graduation rate is about 93 percent and there are no D and F schools in the district. Miami-Dade public schools are the fourth largest district in the nation. Los Angeles public schools are the second largest in the nation.
Calvalho said he began as a struggling young person from Portugal who started in low level jobs. He said is life changed for the better when he became a teacher.
A statement from Los Angeles Unified School Board President Kelly Gonez said, “As the longtime Miami-Dade Superintendent, he established a clear record of positive student outcomes and has relentlessly worked towards greater equity for historically underserved communities. I know he will continue that focus in Los Angeles, and he is ready for the challenges and opportunities ahead of us.”
