Tempo Montessori Charter School

Hi. This is Diane Beckham, the founding executive director of Tempo Montessori. Thank you for taking an interest in Tempo Montessori's vision to open a public Montessori school for students ages 3 to 8th grade. Additionally, we anticipate expanding by adding a Montessori High School. It takes all of us to make this happen and by signing up for our newsletter, you are joining the mission to make this happen!

In October 2025, Tempo Montessori presented to the Union School Board. this is the first step in receiving authorization to open a public charter school in Oklahoma. The School Board voted not to approve Tempo for authorization.

In November 2025, Tempo Montessori submitted an application to the Oklahoma Statewide Charter Board. This is a governing board for the state of Oklahoma.

Later in November, we presented an overview of Tempo Montessori and its vision to the Oklahoma Charter Board.

In December 2025, Executive Director, Diane Beckham, and her Board were interviewed by the Statewide Charter Board. This oversight Board is responsible for determining the viability of the proposed charter.

January 12, 2026, is a big day for Tempo Montessori. The Statewide Charter Board will vote to approve or deny the application. Be on the look out for an update after January 12th.

Tempo Montessori has several events booked at libraries across Tulsa. Come meet me and some of Tempo's supporters as we share information about Montessori education and how it will look at Tempo.

What is a year-round calendar? How does it work? How does it help my child?

These are great questions to ask. Tempo has created a unique year-round calendar to meet the needs of children, teachers and families like it, too!

What is it? A year-round calendar has longer "breaks" after each quarter with a 4-week break in July.

How does it work? Tempo has created a year-round calendar incorporating these longer breaks throughout the year, along with quarterly intersession blocks (marked in red). These intersessions allow for students to master skills, expand learning into the community, and dive into passion projects.

How does it help my child? Research shows that children begin to forget academic information after 4 weeks. With shorter, more frequent breaks, children can continue to build upon past lessons instead of reteaching every fall. With quarterly breaks, families will be encouraged to take trips, schedule appointments, etc. during breaks instead of missing school days. Attendance does matter and Tempo families are expected to attend class when in session.