The interview was incredibly brief and lacked any formal questions. Instead, I was met with a snarky remark: "I'm, um, trying to exactly figure out...why you're here with your experience?" This was despite my nine years of teaching experience from kindergarten through college.
I mentioned that I am autistic, which I believed would give me unique insight into working with autistic students. However, the interviewer, the head of the school, responded rudely: "Do you think just because you have autism you know how to work with autistic kids?" This dismissive comment clearly indicated that she did not value my personal experience with autism spectrum disorder, which I felt was crucial for my role as an educator for autistic children.
Her behavior was completely at odds with the culturally relevant pedagogy she claims to understand on her LinkedIn profile. She then asked if I had any questions for her. When I inquired about the school's founding, values, and other relevant information, she frowned and retorted, "You didn't do your research on us?" This response felt very neurotypical—asking a question only to punish the person for answering. It was certainly not the behavior of someone who effectively works with neurodiverse children.
The entire interaction was hurtful and unprofessional, leaving me with the impression that my experiences and qualifications were entirely disregarded. I don't think this person is safe to work with kids. I also feel like she may have been intimidated because of my young age and PhD completion before hers (she does not yet have one).