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PODCAST EPISODE

Grafted Together Ep 58: Assessing Your School with the Flourishing Faith Index, with Dr. Steve Whitaker

June 2, 2026

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Dr. Steve Whitaker, Head of School at The First Academy (FL), talks with Jerry Nelson about the Flourishing Faith Index and how to properly assess your school's spiritual formation progress. Learn more about the FFI at acsi.org/ffi

Dr. Steve D. Whitaker has been the Head of School at The First Academy since July 2003. Under his leadership, the school has implemented an ambitious spiritual formation agenda, achieved significant enrollment growth, and celebrated remarkable academic successes. Through multiple capital campaigns, the campus has undergone major additions and renovations, with The First Academy families and friends generously pledging over $60 million to support these initiatives.

Dr. Whitaker has authored works on various subjects, including school culture, Christian living, and Biblical worldview issues. In 2015, he published *In God We Trust: Five Anchor Points for Turbulent Times*. He is set to release two more books in 2026: “City on a Hill” and “By Still Waters."

Recently, he was appointed the Founding President of Orlando Christian University, which will open in August 2027. His service includes positions on the ACSI Executive Board, FHSAA Board of Directors, FCIS Board of Directors, and ABHE Board of Directors, as well as being a charter member of the Council for Educational Standards and Accountability. In 2010, Dr. Whitaker founded Neighborhood Charter Schools to help urban churches establish charter schools for disadvantaged students.

You can follow him online at his LinkedIn account:

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Grafted Together

Grafted Together with ACSI Chief Ministry Officer Jerry Nelson examines how biblical worldview and spiritual formation should integrate in everyday Christian education. Jerry Nelson joined the ACSI family in 2020 as the Special Assistant to the President and currently serves as ACSI's Chief Ministry Officer. He previously spent 11 years as the Head of School at Northwest Christian Academy in Florida. While there, Nelson created a Teacher Development Program, a Student Leadership Development Program, and Parent Education Program, and wrote three books. He earned his master's degree in Educational Leadership from St. Thomas University.