Mitzi Merino graduated from San Diego Unified School District which is the same public school system she now helps lead as an Area Superintendent. After graduating from San Diego public schools, Ms. Merino went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree from UCLA, a teaching credential from UCSD, and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from San Diego State University. 

The school communities Ms. Merino oversees as an Area Superintendent stretch from the San Diego coast and inland to the city’s eastern edge. They include the diverse communities of LA jolla, lmec, san diego, and madison clusters. 

As an Area Superintendent, Ms. Merino is equity driven and focused on designing professional learning for school leaders, developing systems and structures for monitoring student learning and supporting principals through job embedded coaching and feedback. She puts support for student learning at the heart of her work, and that commitment has paid off with national awards for excellence going to many schools in her service area. To help expand this success, Ms. Merino spends the majority of her time in schools, working closely with individual school leaders to ensure equitable outcomes for all students. 

Her background as a member of the community has also enabled Ms. Merino to play a key role in bridging neighborhood needs with support and services available from the school district. Ms. Merino began her career with San Diego Unified as a teacher, serving as an elementary school principal for 10 years before being promoted to an Area Superintendent in 2008.