CAEAA Member Spotlight: Carey buchanan

Carey Buchanan, Director of Alternative Programs for the El Dorado County Office of Education, brings more than 20 years of experience in alternative education and nine years specifically in adult education. Carey oversees a wide range of programs, including adult education in the community and jails, Court School, the Rite of Passage Residential Treatment programs, and the countywide school-based Threat Assessment program. Her leadership reflects a deep commitment to creating safe, supportive, and meaningful educational opportunities for learners across diverse and complex settings.

Among Carey’s proudest accomplishments is the creation of the Marshall + EDCOE School of Medical Assisting, a partnership between EDCOE and Marshall Medical Center. This program trains students to become Certified Medical Assistants, places them in externships throughout Marshall’s facilities, and provides direct access to employment opportunities within the region’s medical community. The program has helped fill a significant workforce need while allowing residents to secure stable, living-wage careers close to home. The student success stories emerging from this initiative highlight its transformative impact on both individual lives and the broader community.
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For Carey, the most rewarding part of adult education is working with students who are deeply motivated to change their future. Watching learners grow as they work toward their GED or high school diploma — especially those who have faced significant barriers — is profoundly meaningful. Recently, when ESL enrollment declined due to students feeling unsafe on school campuses, Carey and her team responded by relocating ESL services to community sites where learners felt more comfortable. Today, satellite ESL classes are expanding access and meeting students where they are. Her advice to new administrators: learn everything you can about funding, consortia, WIOA, and CTE — and build strong partnerships across agencies. And as a fun fact, Carey once worked as a cake decorator — a detail that often surprises people and hints at the creativity she brings to her work.

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