Vice Principal: Steven Pape

Q: Where are you from?

A: I am from a bunch of places. I grew up in suburban Illinois outside of Chicago in a town called Schaumburg. I went to college in Washington, DC as far as I could think from home, and I’ve lived in city centers ever since. I lived in Portland from 1999 to 2005, Prague in the Czech Republic from 2005 to 2010, New Orleans from 2010 to 2016, then Portland again until the present. I most think of Portland as my current home and New Orleans as the place closest to my heart. My wife’s family is from there and I think of it as my adopted home, now distant.

Q: What is your job?

A: As VP, I’m involved in a lot of different aspects of school. I support teachers, specifically social studies and science, but also all teachers with instruction and the adoption of MYP. I am the AVID coordinator, supporting AVID teachers and students across their four years. I work with all 10th grade students for discipline, too. All in all, I hope to be a support and advocate for all students, their teachers, and their families.

Q: Where did you work before?

A: I taught at Lincoln six years ago (social studies and Academic Success). Prior to that I taught IB history and TOK at Southridge (in Beaverton), IB Economics and TOK at the International School of Prague and worked as a social studies teacher and VP at Willow Charter School in New Orleans. Over the past five years, I’ve been an assistant principal and, for one year, interim principal, at Catlin Gabel Middle School.

Q: Why did you choose to work at Lincoln?

A: I am really excited to return because of its history as a successful IB World School (I taught IB for 10 years) and at this moment when it is about to fully embrace MYP and in this new beautiful space.

Q: What are your first impressions of Lincoln?

A: The building is undeniably beautiful, but it was also a bit soulless until students and teachers arrived. It is much warmer and lived in now. The teachers are still brilliant and energetic. They seem to be enjoying the new building, too. There are too many students for me to know them yet, but many have been as welcoming  to me as the adults. Attending our first few games, the student body seems pretty spirited and energetic, too.

Q: Why did you choose to work in education?

A: My mom was a teacher, and I grew up liking school and my teachers and wanting to be like them. I haven’t always been good at school, middle school was particularly rough for me, but I have always enjoyed learning, especially in a social setting. As an adult, there is no better way I know of to continue in that love of learning than to work in schools.  I was always able to feed my curiosity by engaging with students in classrooms. Now as an administrator, I get to feed it by visiting peers and seeing and supporting them engage in their craft. As a result, I’m never bored at work, unlike most non-teachers I know, and every day offers new insights.