A Los Angeles nonprofit will honor disgraced public schools superintendent Alberto Carvalho with a “Courage in Leadership” award at a glitzy gala in Hollywood Wednesday night, The Post has learned.
The charity event thrown by education organization Families in Schools will recognize Carvalho for his outspoken stance against the immigration enforcement policies of US President Donald Trump, according to the group’s website.
Carvalho, 61, who himself entered the country illegally as an undocumented teenager from Portugal, was relieved of his duties leading the Los Angeles Unified School District in February after the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided his home and office.
The former leader of the nation’s second-largest district has been in hiding for months following the series of FBI raids that upended his career on Feb. 25.
The stunning raids aimed at Carvalho also targeted the Miami home of a tech consultant who brokered a deal between LA Unified and a disgraced startup hired to provide the nation’s second-largest school district with an AI-powered chatbot.
In a statement posted to the website of Families in Schools, the group’s CEO Yolie Flores explained that Carvalho would be honored for policies he enacted to prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials from accessing LAUSD students and families.
“Courage isn’t about doing what’s right when it’s easy. It’s about staying true to your values when it’s hard and the stakes are high,” said Flores in the statement posted online.
“This past year, Superintendent Carvalho has modeled what it means to be a courageous leader and to stand with families,” she added.
According to the group’s web site, the Courage in Leadership Award “honors district leaders,” for “protecting children’s safety, dignity, and belonging in the face of ICE aggression.”
The prize will be presented to Carvalho at an Anniversary Benefit Gala hosted by Families in Schools at the showy Taglyan Complex to celebrate twenty-five years in business.
Star-studded parties held at the fancy event space in the past have featured boldface names ranging from 50-Cent to Hillary Clinton.
“From its star-studded corporate events and opulent wedding celebrations to the venue’s integral involvement in local charitable organizations, Taglyan Complex is unmatched in elegance, ambiance, and integrity,” states the venue’s website.
Carvalho and Flores did not respond to requests for comments. It was unclear if Carvalho would attend the event.
He was spotted for the first time since the raids last month, shopping at a Vons supermarket in Palos Verdes with his wife Maria near the spacious home the two share together.
The schools boss has not been charged with any crime and has earned more than $100,000 in taxpayer dollars since the FBI raided his home and offices. He leads a relaxed life without any work duties, spending most of his time at the couple’s $2.5 million home.
Federal authorities have refused to provide specific details on the investigation into Carvalho, but sources say it is linked to a corruption scandal over a botched contract with a disgraced AI education company whose founder faced her own federal criminal charges.
LAUSD put Carvalho on paid leave as reports about the scope of the FBI’s investigation became clear, and the district’s board brought in Andrés Chait as acting superintendent, with Chait earning $396,000 plus a car allowance.
The school district is still in crisis mode as it faces a staggering $1.6 billion deficit by 2027-2028 — while enrollment plummets and test scores have stagnated. LAUSD has also struggled with potential school closures and rough negotiations with powerful unions.
Sonja Shaw, the Republican pick for California state superintendent, which oversees statewide education, said Carvalho is an odd choice for an award from any organization, when an FBI investigation into his dealing is still ongoing.
“California students are falling behind, parents have lost trust, and LAUSD remains under an FBI cloud. Calling this ‘courage in leadership’ is hard for families to understand,” Shaw told The Post.
“This is just another sign of the culture of fraud and corruption that California operates under,” added Shaw, who’s president of the Chino Valley School Board. “They’re so brazen that even in the middle of a federal investigation, they still give each other awards.”
Families in Schools says on its website that its mission is to “ensure student success by building authentic partnerships between families, educators, and system leaders, and through parent-led advocacy.”
The LA-based nonprofit took in $946,235 during the fiscal year that ended in June, according to tax records.
Flores was paid a salary of $237,854 for her role as president and CEO, plus another $24,819 in additional compensation. She said on tax forms that she works 80 hours per week on average at her job.
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