‘We’ve Got More Resilience Than Taylor Swift:’ Carvalho Touts LAUSD Strength Ahead of Tough Year

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Los Angeles Unified superintendent Alberto Carvalho struck a defiant tone in his back-to-school address Tuesday, pitting the district against federal authorities while praising its resilience from recent wildfires and the pandemic.

Three weeks before half a million L.A. Unified students return to classes, Carvalho used the annual speech to preview new initiatives and set the tone for the coming school year threatened by political, operational and financial headwinds.

In the face of historic natural disaster and a “volatile federal landscape,” Carvalho said the district is “not defined by what comes at us,” and highlighted some of the district’s best test scores ever. 

“We don’t fear pressure. We don’t shrink from scrutiny,” he said. “In fact, we’ve got more resilience than Taylor Swift.” 

Already facing budget cuts this year, LAUSD is also looking at the potential loss of more than $120 million in federal funding as part of a contested $6.8 billion education funding freeze that could impact some of the district’s most vulnerable students, including kids with disabilities and those living in poverty. 

Carvalho took shots at the Trump administration, accusing President Donald Trump’s administration of both being clueless and intentionally undermining U.S. democracy.  

“If Washington had a model for federal funding, it would be ‘if I can’t spell it out, defund it,’ ” quipped Carvalho. “And my friends, judging by their vocabulary, we should all be very, very afraid, for it is limited.”

One of the nation’s most visible superintendents and an energetic booster of LAUSD on social media, Carvalho is entering his third year running the nation’s second largest school district, having already hit some important benchmarks, including academic goals set by the board.

But L.A. Unified faces some especially tough circumstances this coming year.

Federal immigration agents visited two schools in search of undocumented minors during a series of raids in L.A. around the close of the last school year, setting off fear and depressing school attendance in the majority Hispanic district.  

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids roiled a district already pulverized by the worst wildfires in Los Angeles history, which occurred in January and February and displaced thousands of students, many of whom still lack stable housing.  

LAUSD also faces headwinds such as budget cuts, falling enrollment and stubborn problems with school climate and achievement gaps, all serious challenges that could threaten its future.

Yet Carvalho on Tuesday emphasized the positive in his message at the glitzy Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown L.A. near the district’s headquarters, where he spoke before hundreds of LAUSD principals and administrators in a production worthy of Tinsel Town, complete with a zoom appearance from the rapper will.i.am, who bashed the recent immigration raids in L.A. 

A student mariachi band from James Garfield High School played a mariachi version of the national anthem. Costumed dancers from Fairfax High School performed selections from Wicked.

“Public education stands at a crossroads. The challenges are real and so is the urgency,” said Carvalho,who name-checked Beyonce and quoted Tupac in his 80-minute presentation.

“But we will not lose our way,” said Carvalho. “We will continue to build better schools and a better future.”  

In the face of the possibility of more ICE action, Carvalho said the district would continue to maintain “safe zones” at schools where students will be protected from immigration enforcement.

Additionally, Carvalho said, LAUSD will offer extra remote classes and bussing to families who ask for it.

Even with budget cuts this year and looming cuts to come, Carvalho announced more than 40 new programs underway in the district, including a new push to deliver mental health services to students, a new online enrollment system for incoming families, and a new effort to deploy air-quality monitoring stations at schools.

After posting gains on state exams earlier this year, Carvalho on Tuesday also revealed LAUSD’s latest Smarter Balanced Assessments, districtwide tests of English, math and science that rose across all tested grades for the second straight year, and surpassed results from before the pandemic.  

Calling the new SBA scores a new high watermark, Carvalho said two years of incremental gains at every tested grade level should provide clear solid evidence of the strength of the district in the face of challenges like the pandemic, immigration raids and wildfires.

Districtwide, 46.5% of students met or exceeded grade level standards in English Language Arts in tests conducted in April and May. In math, the figure was 36.7%. For the first time ever, 11^th grade students exceeded literacy standards, and across all subjects and grade levels, students showed significant growth in scores.

LAUSD Board President Scott Schmerelson highlighted those results in his remarks at Carvalho’s opening speech.

“Despite the many challenges we have faced, we’ve also seen significant progress,” said Schmerelson. “Our graduation rates continue to increase, as has our students’ achievement.” 

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