Faculty

The Canadian College of Educators prides itself in the quality of its faculty and brings countless of combined years of education and experience to its programs and administration.

Carmen Valero, President & Dean
Ms. Valero is a Certified Training and Development Professional (CTDP), an Ontario Certified English Language Teacher (OCELT) and Certified TESL Trainer. Ms. Valero holds degrees in Linguistics, Modern Languages, and Translation from McMaster University and the Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation of the University of Ottawa.

Ms. Valero is the Co-founder and Dean of Canadian College of Educators since 2001. Previously she was a Professor at the University of Ottawa’s Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation, Terminologist & Translator for the Translation Bureau of Public Works and Government Services Canada, and taught high school and university English, French, and Spanish. Much of her work in the field of terminology and translation has been published by the Canadian Federal Government in more than 50,000 terminological records in TERMIUM®, our government’s linguistic databank. She also has over 30 years of experience in both the public and private secondary and post-secondary education system in Ontario.

Ms. Valero has been very involved in educational leadership in the TESL training field and the post-secondary education private sector for the past 20+ years where her focus has been on Instructor Development, Adult Education Program Standards, Accreditation, and Government Relations. Since 2006 she has served on the TESL Ontario TESL Training Institutions Directors Panel and has held a Board of Director’s position for Career Colleges Ontario for the past 16 years, including 5 consecutive years as the Vice Board Chair. She has a passion for helping other educators achieve their potential and goals.

Jana Smith, Director of Studies of Online Education
Ms. Smith holds a BA in Linguistics from the University of Toronto, BA in Psychology  from York University, and a B.Ed in Adult Education from Brock University. Ms. Smith served as both ESL Teacher and Program Officer for the Toronto District School Board for over 25 years and has been with Canadian College of Educators since 2004. Ms. Smith is recognized in the TESL field as contributing writer for “LINC Curriculum Guidelines” and her expertise in training and development of the Canadian Language Benchmarks. She has a passion for new technologies in teaching and learning and is the Founder and President of EduPros, a leading Canadian educational provider of e-learning solutions.

Sheila Baker, Academic Coordinator
Sheila Baker is an Ontario-Certified English Language Teacher (OCELT), TESL-Ontario-Accredited Academic Coordinator, Practicum Supervisor, and TESL Trainer. Ms. Baker holds a Master’s in TESL and a Bachelor’s in Education (Teaching Computer Skills, Tech. Ed.), both degrees from the University of Alberta. Ms. Baker joined the Faculty of Canadian College of Educators in 2020. She has over two decades of ESL and TESL experience, including teacher training and teaching EAP (English for Academic Purposes) at MacEwan University along with LINC. She enjoys including technology in the classroom, especially CALL or Computer-Assisted Language Learning strategies and using concordances. In addition, she is also an examiner for language exams, measuring the English-language proficiency of immigrants, internationally educated health-care workers (CELBAN and CLB), and prospective students for living, working, or studying in Canada or other English-speaking countries.

Mary MacKeracher, TESL & PBLA Trainer
Ms. MacKeracher has been with the college since 2007 and has played a vital role in the ongoing development and success of the TESL Diploma program. She in an Ontario Certified English Language Teacher, holds a Bachelor and Masters degree in Linguistics from the University of Toronto and a MBA from the University of Calgary. Prior to joining the college Ms. MacKeracher was teaching Linguistics courses at the University of Toronto and Brock University. She also taught ESL and LINC classes at the Peel District School for a number of years. She enjoys learning from students as much as she enjoys teaching and has an unparalleled passion for linguistics and the English language.

Grant Bunke, CEO
Mr. Bunke is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Canadian College of Educators, founded in 2001. Previously an Ontario high school teacher, Mr. Bunke combined his education and experience in teaching with his studies in Business and Finance to bring to life his vision of teachers’ college for adult educators. He looks forward to celebrating the 25 th anniversary of the college coming soon in 2026.