De Blasio’s pick for schools chancellor is former ‘illegal’ immigrant

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday picked a new schools chancellor to oversee New York City’s 1.1 million-student system: Miami superintendent Alberto Carvalho.

Carvalho replaces Carmen Fariña, de Blasio’s chancellor since taking office in 2014. She announced in December that she would retire from public education, having spent nearly a half-century in the profession.

In a written statement issued Wednesday night, de Blasio, a Democrat, called Carvalho “a world-class educator with an unmatched track record of success,” a pick that he said came after an “extensive, national search.”

New York City is the nation’s biggest school system; Miami’s is the fourth largest.

“I look forward to welcoming our new chancellor to New York City in the days ahead, and to working with him in the years ahead as we deepen achievement in our classrooms and build on the outstanding record of accomplishment that Chancellor Fariña has delivered for students and their families across the five boroughs.”

Carvalho has been in charge of Miami-Dade County Public Schools for more than a decade.

De Blasio’s approach to education has represented a sharp turn from that taken by his predecessor, Mike Bloomberg: away from high-stakes testing, decentralized management and a hostile relationship with the teachers’ labor union.

Earlier this month, Carvalho tweeted: “And for all the teachers in America: Testing is not teaching Testing is not teaching Testing is not teaching Testing is not teaching Testing is not teaching.”

Rumors about Carvalho’s appointment had been floating around City Hall for days. Last year, the Miami press was abuzz with another rumor: that Carvalho might be running for Congress.

The Portuguese native moved to America after high school in the 1980s and, by his own admission, stayed illegally. He worked construction jobs and slept in a friend’s truck, according to news accounts.

He attended Broward College and Barry University, taught high school and rose to be assistant principal, administrator and superintendent.

In a speech last year, he defended immigrant students who are living illegally in the United States.

“I came to this country at 17. I overstayed my visa. Put the label on me,” Carvalho said. “I was poor. I am an immigrant. I was undocumented. I was, in the eyes of some, illegal.”

Graduation rates under his watch jumped to 80.4 percent from 60.5 percent, according to Miami New Times.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.