Blog Posts

Hello WCA students and families!

I wanted to take some time to let you know a little bit about something that transpired on November 13th, 2025.

On that date, the State of Florida Department of Education adopted what is called The Phoenix Declaration: An American Vision for Education. 

What is that, exactly?!

The declaration isn’t a long, hundreds-of-page dissertation or lengthy set of policies. It’s a fairly short statement consisting of an introduction and 7 core values. I shall list them below:

1.    Parental Choice & Responsibility
2.    Transparency & Accountability
3.    Truth & Goodness
4.    Cultural Transmission
5.    Character Formation
6.    Academic Excellence
7.    Citizenship

To put some meat on the bones of the 7 core values above, I suggest you read The Phoenix Declaration in its entirety at https://www.heritage.org/phoenix-declaration . 

Additionally, you should read what the Florida Department of Education has written about each of the 7 core values at https://www.fldoe.org/newsroom/latest-news/florida-becomes-the-first-state-in-the-nation-to-adopt-the-phoenix-declaration.stml

There is a wonderful quote by Thomas Jefferson at the beginning…see below:

“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”

Basically he is saying that if a nation of people desires to be BOTH free AND ignorant, then we desire something that can never happen…like square circles. Free nations require an educated population.

But what is this Phoenix Declaration? Let me start by saying that here at Warner Christian Academy, we have been doing the “things” of the Phoenix Declaration for awhile already. 

Recall that our mission is to “…partner with families in shaping students into the image of Christ by helping them discover Truth in academics, athletics, and arts.” And our vision for the future would be that through those strong partnerships with families we would form and send out graduates who are Christlike in character and intellectually virtuous; who are ready to pursue Truth, lead with wisdom, impact their communities, and be part of God’s shaping of the future for HIS glory.

Let me run through numbers 1-7 of the declaration very briefly with some short statements of what we believe here at WCA when it comes to each one of those core values listed above.

1.    Parental Choice & Responsibility: 
We believe that education is the sole responsibility of the parents…24 hours per day and 7 days per week from birth through maturity (see Glenn Shultz’s book, Kingdom Education). And so part of what we do is to partner with the families.

2.    Transparency & Accountability:
We believe in being transparent about what we are teaching, upon what that content is founded, and the methods as well. We believe the back and forth communication between school and home is vital in shaping students into the image of Christ. 

3.    Truth & Goodness:
We believe that Jesus is the Truth and that we should only be teaching Truth; that which is knowable and real. There is right and wrong; good and evil; reality and falsehood.

4.    Cultural Transmission:
We believe students should learn about the history of the United States of America; founded upon Biblical principles by principally Christian men. And we believe it has had its ups and downs and that all of it should be taught; not hidden. 

5.    Character Formation:
We believe in the formation of good character in our students by them accepting Jesus Christ in saving faith and then through discipleship aided by the adults around them as well as the working of the Holy Spirit. And then increasing in character by teaching academics with a mind toward intellectual virtues; things like Curiosity, Attentiveness, and Tenacity – All biblically founded principles of thinking that are important for saving faith and for sanctification.

6.    Academic Excellence:
We believe in the pursuit of excellence in all things as unto the Lord. That includes the use of the MIND, the brain, thinking and learning. Indeed thinking and the use of the mind must cohere simultaneously with our affections for humanity and for God Himself. It’s a both/and situation as opposed to an either/or situation.

7.    Citizenship:
And we believe in Christian service to our fellow man in our immediate spheres of influence, our families, our neighborhoods…as well as the larger spheres of cities, states, and nations near and far. And to do that, we also believe in Christian service in sphere of civics; doing our civic duty to vote and to serve when necessary.

Parents and students, WCA has been working hard at this for a long while. And we’re very glad to see Florida adopting what you and I already know. 

And again, please go to the links above and read the statement for yourself. I believe this is a great step forward for Florida.

Thank you again for partnering with us here at Warner Christian Academy. It is one of my utmost pleasures to labor in this place; a place of education, of service, of academics, of athletics, of arts, of truth, of adherence to the Lord. And to partner with you, the families who entrust us with at least a portion of the education of your youngins. Thank you!

Soli Deo Gloria