by Jameelah Mullen
October 31, 2025
DOTT Academy ditches grades for real-world skills.
Families in Southern Florida now have a new educational option. DOTT Academy is one of the few competency-based schools in the state. The charter school serves children ages 5 to 14. Students move to the next level by demonstrating mastery of skills rather than progressing based on age or grade.
Located in Greenacres, Florida, the charter school was established by Dr. Kisha Bellande-Francis. She brings more than 20 years of experience in education as a teacher, consultant, and personal development expert across 15 states. She also acts as the school’s principal.
“DOTT Academy empowers students through personalized, competency-based learning where they progress based on mastery, not seat time,” Dr. Bellande-Francis said in a press release.
“Students advance at their own pace, collaborate with multi-age peers, and work toward clear, meaningful learning targets. The result is stronger skills, deeper confidence, and real-world readiness — the ultimate goal of every parent,” Bellande-Francis said.
The educator noted that students learn skills such as building sustainable gardens and planning community events, which better prepare them for real-world situations.
“We focus on depth over pace, personal growth over comparison, and real readiness over rote performance.”
The academy groups students into five multi-aged “pods”: Foundations (K–1), Explorers (1–3), Innovators (3–5), Scholars (5–6), and Leaders (6–8). These pods are designed to help teachers focus on each child’s skills, ensuring students learn in ways that work best for them instead of being held back or moving ahead too quickly.
When students complete the Leaders Pod, they graduate with a mastery portfolio that showcases their achievements and prepares them for some of the most competitive high schools in the region.
The academy recently held its official ribbon-cutting ceremony at the North Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce office. At the Oct 27 ceremony, Bellande-Francis expressed gratitude to supporters in an Instagram post.
“This is just the beginning. Thank you for supporting my dream, for supporting DOTT, and for helping us create a new future in education,” Bellande-Francis wrote.
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