Staff Spotlight: Alex Bahe - social studies teacher at Lincoln Southwest High School

April 24, 2026

Every week, we shine a spotlight on one Lincoln Public Schools staff member! This week, meet Alex Bahe, social studies teacher at Lincoln Southwest High School.

“Mr. Bahe should be featured because of his consistent dedication to teaching. He puts endless work into making his lectures engaging, interactive and most importantly - funny. Mr. Bahe makes students laugh by telling a variety of funny stories as well as unique ways to remember material. Everything that Mr. Bahe does as a teacher has a purpose, from the order he teaches material to the way the notes are presented to us. Mr. Bahe mentions that he solely teaches AP U.S. History due to his dedication to the course, making it as approachable as possible for students to find success.” - Hawk, Lincoln Southwest student. 

In a few sentences, briefly describe your role at LPS.
I'm an AP U.S. History teacher, the social studies department chair, and the head boys basketball coach at Lincoln Southwest High School.

How long have you worked for LPS?
This is my 10th year.

What inspired you to become part of the education field at LPS?
I come from a family of educators and coaches, so to a certain extent, it was in my DNA. I also had some LPS teachers as a student—like Tim Tidball and Rob McEntarffer—whom I deeply admired. They both had such an impact on me that I wanted to emulate them and follow in their footsteps.

What has been your favorite part of working here? What aspect of your job do you find most rewarding?
100% the relationships with kids. Seeing them succeed either in the classroom or on the court is what keeps you going in a sometimes challenging job.

In one word, what makes you proud to work for LPS?
The people.

Did you attend LPS as a student? If so, which school(s)? If not, where are you from?
I did. I went to Rousseau, Irving and Southeast. I graduated in 1998.

What path did you take after completing your formal education?
I started at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a physics major because I had a strong talent in math. But after two years, I realized I needed to follow my passion rather than just my skills, so I became a high school history teacher and basketball coach, a significant shift, to say the least!

What do you enjoy most about the Lincoln community?
It's home in every sense of the word. I couldn't imagine living or raising a family anywhere else.

What is your favorite childhood book or a book that has influenced your life positively?
I always have a running Top 10 books of all time in my head. I'm a real list person. For fiction the top spot would currently be a toss-up between “Paris in the Present Tense” by Mark Helprin, “Lincoln Highway” by Amor Towles, “The Hearts Invisible Furies” by John Boyne, “Lonesome Dove” by Larry McMurtry and “Cloud Cuckoo Land” by Anthony Doerr.

But the book that first made me fall in love with reading was “Catcher in the Rye.” I read it in Tim Tidball's English class at Lincoln Southeast.

Share a shout out to a former teacher who impacted your life.
Tim Tidball and Rob McEntarffer, both former LSE teachers, are absolutely the reason I'm an educator. Enormous impact on my life. I still talk to both of them to this day.

Do you know a LPS staff member we should feature for Staff Spotlight? Fill out this form to nominate them!

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