Alberto Carvalho, the new Los Angeles schools superintendent, promised on Tuesday to bring energy, passion and compassion to his new role as head of the nation’s second-largest school system, shortly after the school board Tuesday morning approved his four-year contract with an annual $440,000 salary.

Carvalho, 57, accepted his new job after 13 years leading Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the nation’s fourth-largest K-12 district. The board made its decision last week, while Carvalho was in Miami. Carvalho immediately said his farewells on the East Coast, but Tuesday marked his first public appearance in Los Angeles as the new schools chief.

“Honestly, I’m excited about this opportunity,” Carvalho said after the board’s 7-0 vote. “And my excitement is a reflection not only of the opportunity of Los Angeles offers to all of us, but also reciprocally and with equal weight, the responsibility we have to emerge from this crisis stronger than we entered it, around eliminating the gaps that currently exist, stabilizing conditions that are so prevalent throughout the country, and really in a very forceful respectful, compassionate way recognize the needs of our students, their parents, the families and certainly our workforce.”

Carvalho also delivered his remarks again in Spanish.

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