Broughton files for Cape school board seat
Milton resident Alisha Broughton has filed to challenge incumbent Noble Prettyman for the area A Cape Henlopen school board seat.
"I want to empower my community in a positive way," she said.
Broughton filed March 1 to run for the 5-year seat Prettyman has held for two terms. Prettyman filed for the seat several weeks ago.
Broughton, 43, was born in Beebe Medical Center to Vaun Dyke Ford and Beverly Singletary. She grew up in Millsboro and graduated from Indian River High School in 1987. She attended Delaware State University where she earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and communication in 1991. She also holds an associate's degree in early childhood development from Delaware Technical Community College and a master's degree in education from Wilmington University.
She taught special education for 11 years in both Maryland and Delaware, she said.
Broughton has lived in Milton since 1997 and has two grown daughters. She is a motivational speaker and a part-time English professor at Delaware Technical Community College. She said she continues to help special needs students.
"I'm a firm believer in public education," Broughton said. "I've been an educator and a parent."
Broughton was named a Jefferson Award winner in December for her volunteer work at The Family Outreach Center in Lincoln. A press release about the award said Broughton volunteered more than 1,000 hours in 18 months at the center. She led workshops on bullying, teen pregnancy, domestic violence, study habits and scholarship assistance, the release states.
In 2006, Broughton started Unlimited Expectations Consulting, a company that provides training for churches, head start groups, schools and government, according to her website unlimitedex.com.
The website lists her membership or involvement with numerous groups such as National Association of Business Owners, Delaware State Teacher's Association, Milton Chamber of Commerce, Milton Historical Society, Friends of the Milton Library, Purses for Women Financial Literacy Program, YWCA, Sussex County Women's Democratic Club, Urban League, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Black Women Enterprise of Power and many others.
If elected to Cape Henlopen school board, she said she would like to increase teacher salaries 2 percent a year. She also said she would like to add resource officers into schools to address safety and encourages parental involvement, especially to improve math and science test scores in the district, she said.
The Cape Henlopen school board election will be held 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 14, at Rehoboth Elementary School, Cape Henlopen High School and Mariner Middle School. Though candidates must reside in the Milton area to file for the area A seat, all district voters can vote for one of the two candidates.
