MISSOULA — It was a very special school assembly on Thursday at Target Range School District in Missoula as the entire study body gathered to surprise and recognize math teacher Ms. Alison Lokey.

Lokey is a state finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

"There's no one else I can think of that's more deserving than Alison for this award because she puts the students first," Lokey's colleague, Ryan Delany, said. "She is that teacher who can joke around with kids, but at the same time when it's down to business, she knows how to teach math."

The President can recognize over 100 teachers nationwide. It's the nation's highest honors for K-12 teachers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Lokey's approach to teaching 7t

See Full Page