Bernadette holds a Masters Degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Melbourne and was a former Project Director for the Assessment of Language Competence (ALC) Certificates at the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). She has worked as a language teacher for many years and has held leadership roles in professional learning and curriculum development. Bernadette has also held key positions in language curriculum planning and development at a systemic level.
Bernadette held the role of Manager of the Languages other than English Key Learning Area for the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), where she led the development of curriculum for 44 languages at senior secondary level.