In her application for the vacant Academy District 20 school board seat, Susan Payne leads with a declaration that she’s running to ensure schools reflect “the conservative values that define our community—faith, family, personal responsibility, and a commitment to excellence.” That’s not paraphrased. That’s her first sentence.
Payne’s messaging isn’t accidental. It’s calculated, tailored to the same religious political base that helped usher in the current school board majority—and just as tellingly, she’s been endorsed by the Culture Impact Team at Church For All Nations, a politically active evangelical ministry that has promoted past extremist slates.
Quote, Unquote: “Faith, Family, Personal Responsibility”
This is the exact language from Payne’s application:
“I’m running for the Academy School District 20 School Board to ensure our schools reflect the conservative values that define our community—faith, family, personal responsibility, and a commitment to excellence.”
Susan Payne, ASD20 Board Application
It’s not buried in a paragraph. It’s the opening pitch of her candidacy.
This kind of dog whistle—leading with “faith” and “conservative values”—is designed to resonate with a very specific constituency: Christian nationalist political activists who believe public schools should reinforce their religious worldview, not reflect the diversity of the broader community.
The Church For All Nations Connection
Susan Payne’s application dropped just days before Church For All Nations’ Culture Impact Team, along with Advocates for D20 Kids and Moms for Liberty, publicly endorsed her. This endorsement is not a coincidence—it’s the reward for saying the quiet part loud.
Church For All Nations (CFAN) has deep ties to El Paso County’s far-right political machine. Their Culture Impact Team, modeled after a national strategy to “equip churches to influence elections,” has endorsed school board candidates who promote book bans, prayer in classrooms, and policies that sideline LGBTQ+ students.
In 2021 and 2023, this same political-religious operation helped elect the current extremist majority to the ASD20 board. Now, it’s clear they’re looking to replicate that success—with Payne as a willing partner.
What’s Missing? Any Focus on Academic Achievement
Nowhere in Susan Payne’s application does she offer a detailed or credible plan for improving:
- College readiness
- Test scores
- Curriculum quality
- Special education or gifted programs
- Access to scholarships or career and technical education
Her only mention of academics is a brief nod to “a strong academic foundation”—followed immediately by a call for more emphasis on “parents’ rights” and “our nation’s principles”. These are the same talking points used by culture war candidates across the country to justify curriculum censorship and undermine inclusive education.
In contrast, other applicants to the same board vacancy focused on educational equity, teacher retention, or measurable student success. Payne? She focused on values—and not the kind you find on a report card.
Why This Matters
The ASD20 school board is responsible for managing over half a billion dollars in public funds, setting academic direction, and ensuring that over 25,000 students are prepared for life after graduation. That’s real responsibility—not a culture war podium.
But Payne’s opening pitch to the community makes it clear: she’s campaigning for values-based governance, not evidence-based outcomes. She centers faith and ideology, not instruction and equity. And her endorsement from a church-based political committee confirms exactly which agenda she represents.
Who is She Running for?
Susan Payne’s board application is not just a personal statement—it’s a strategic message. By placing “faith” and “conservative values” at the top of her qualifications and accepting support from Church For All Nations’ political arm, she makes clear who she’s running for.
It’s not all ASD20 families. It’s the same religious minority that already captured the board once—and wants to do it again.
This November, voters should reject this playbook.
Public schools are for education, not indoctrination.