An Evanston committee Monday night unanimously recommended that the city join with, and consider a $50,000 contribution  to, a long-term education initiative called Cradle to Career.

Members of the Human Services Committee voiced their support for the effort and quickly voted to send the discussion of Cradle to Career to City Council. The issue appeared in front of aldermen for preliminary discussion at a council meeting in May, where it was met with many questions and concerns.

(City Council discusses education initiative partnership, plastic bag ban)

However, committee members said Monday they felt that with the recommendation of Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl, city staff were ready to get on board with the initiative.

Tisdahl sent a memo to the committee on May 29 recommending that aldermen move forward with the partnership.

“It’s one of the single best programs I’ve seen since I’ve been on the council, and I think sorely needed at a very very reasonable cost,” Ald. Judy Fiske (1st) said Monday.

Cradle to Career relies on a “collective impact” model to organize various organizations and groups in Evanston to try to better serve the same goal. The initiative aims to mobilize community organizations and schools so that a cohesive effort can be made to improve a child’s education from pre-kindergarten until after high school graduation.

(‘Game-changing’ initiative aims to shape entire Evanston community)

Committee members also discussed the role of Northwestern in collecting and interpreting data to measure the effort’s success. Many said that although NU should play a role in the process, it should not be the sole resource analyzing the numbers that are reported.

The committee also briefly discussed changes to drug policy in Evanston. Weinberg senior Marko Pavisic, former co-president of Northwestern’s chapter of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy, appeared in front of the committee to support proposals that would further decriminalize the possession of marijuana in Evanston. Incarceration destroys lives, Pavisic said, and non-violent crimes, like those related to drugs, should be met with tickets instead of jail time.

(Study reveals Evanston uptick in tickets for marijuana possession, decrease in arrests)

Members of the Human Services Committee said any talk on the issue of drug policy reform should involve other city officials, including the representatives from the Evanston Police Department and the Evanston Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition. The committee moved further discussion on the issue to its meeting in July.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @paigeleskin