Pacific Beach Elementary’s new principal, Karon Schnitzer, is an experienced teacher, successful , world traveler and author.
Raised nearby in Ocean Beach, Schnitzer was educated at San Diego Unified schools and graduated from Point Loma High School.
When asking Schnitzer about her inspiration to work in education, her eyes lit up as she shared her experience at Crown Point Elementary School, also in Pacific Beach.
“It was the year 2000 and I was enrolled at SDSU as a business and marketing major. Can you believe it?,” she said.
“I took a part time job at Crown Point as a CSW (college student worker). I was assigned to a second-grade classroom … and I literally fell in love with teaching. I went back to SDSU and changed my major.”
After completing her teaching credential, her master’s degree in cross-cultural education, and teaching every grade from kindergarten through sixth, Schnitzer headed back to San Diego State University to earn her istrative credential.
“I loved my learning experience so much at SDSU I submitted my application to the doctoral program,” she said.
Schnitzer completed her Doctor of Education degree in 2019.
She was a teacher and for 18 years in the Chula Vista Elementary School District. After spending the past four years as a school , last year she applied for the open principalship at Pacific Beach Elementary. Her application process included four different levels of screening and interviews with district office staff, s from other schools, parents and staff from PBE and ultimately the district superintendent.
Schnitzer ed Pacific Beach Elementary a couple months ago. When asked about her first few weeks her eyes lit up again.
“I absolutely love PBE,” she said. “We are truly a family school. I was welcomed so warmly by the staff and the community.”
One of her favorite places on campus is its garden dubbed The Penguin Patch.
“The school garden here at PB Elementary is my new favorite place,” Schnitzer said. “It is a rich and fertile growing space. It reflects our mission at PB Elementary … to grow the minds of our students and to enrich their lives each and every day.”
As for her vision for the campus, Schnitzer said she sees a school where every “child’s potential is recognized, celebrated and cultivated.
“Informed by the principles of neuroscience we can unlock the unique capabilities within each student,” she explained. “Our vision is to create a school community where every child feels valued, ed and empowered to explore their talent and capabilities.”
Fun facts about Karon Schnitzner
• She has enjoyed traveling to places such as Italy, , China, Amsterdam and .
• Mom to Angelica, who is graduating from SDSU in May; and Jordan, who works part-time at KUSI.
• She is a published author in Leadership magazine and wrote a children’s book, “The Life Inside Brainopolis,” during the pandemic. It encourages readers to use deep breathing as a calming technique.
• She teaches a class at SDSU to prepare future teachers for their credential.
