Alberto Carvalho officially took over as superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified Monday -- beginning his tenure with "a warm hello'' to the school district "family'' via Twitter, and also announcing a two-day tour of school campuses.
"Hello. I'm Alberto Carvalho, and I am so pleased to be your new superintendent. Thank you for the incredibly warm welcome from the great City of Angels,'' Carvalho tweeted in both English and Spanish.
Carvalho, who comes to the district after leading the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system since 2008, acknowledged the challenges that lay ahead, particularly in regard to COVID-19, but kept his words upbeat while also expressing gratitude to his predecessor and the school board.
"I come in with a grateful heart for the remarkable leadership from the Los Angeles Unified school board and Interim Superintendent Megan Reilly, who have steered the District through very difficult circumstances with vision and tenacity,'' Carvalho wrote. "We have led the nation in making sure that our school environments are as safe as possible."
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"To our students, colleagues and families, thank you for your sacrifices, and please know that you can count on me to be present and supportive. Together we will face our challenges head on and be honest, open and transparent about providing solutions.''
The district, meanwhile, announced that Carvalho would begin a two-day tour of nine school sites on Wednesday and Thursday.
On Wednesday, the former science teacher plans to teach a biology class at John C. Fremont Senior High School in San Pedro; visit a dual-language Mandarin classroom at Castelar Street Elementary School in Chinatown; explore classrooms and eat lunch with students at Maywood Center For Enriched Studies; and tour James A. Garfield Senior High School in East LA.
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On Thursday, his schedule sends him to the Fair Avenue Early Education Center and Fair Avenue Elementary School in North Hollywood; the Adult Transition Program at the Joaquin Miller Career And Transition Center in Reseda; the Warner Avenue Elementary School in Westwood; Boys Academic Leadership Academy in Westmont, where he will teach another science class; and the George Washington Preparatory Senior High School, also in Westmont.
"It's an honor to carry the momentum that has been established while seeking an even brighter future for the students we serve,'' Carvalho tweeted.
"In recent weeks, I've been able to connect with our students and it's been a joy to meet and learn from them. I am proud to be your superintendent. I'm here to elevate every single student in our district to their full academic potential, and I thank you for your trust and partnership as we start this new journey together.''
Carvalho was unanimously chosen by the board on Dec. 9 to succeed Austin Beutner, who stepped down in June from leading 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.
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.
