After 41 years of teaching music in public schools—the last 39 years in Milton Public Schools—Burdett retired in June 2016. In Milton, she was director of fine and applied arts, overseeing the K-12 Music, K-12 Visual Arts, and 9-12 Family & Consumer Sciences departments, directing seven high-school choral groups, and teaching Advanced Placement Music Theory. She also taught at Emmanuel College and Boston University.

Burdett has been very involved in the Massachusetts Music Educators Association throughout her career. She is currently chair of the organization's program leaders council and chair of awards and is on the all-state conference committee. In the past, she served as president, board member representing high-school music education, conference chair, Massachusetts Tri-M liaison to the National Association for Music Education, recording secretary, All-State Chorus manager, and All-State Chorus accompanist. She served as chair of the Eastern District and secretary of the Southeastern District. She has conducted the South Eastern Massachusetts School Bandmasters Association (SEMSBA) Senior Chorus and Northeastern District Junior Boys Chorus and has been an accompanist for the Northeastern and Southeastern District choruses. Burdett was the music director for the Waltham Summer Theatre (the Reagle Players) for 10 years. She was also a board member for the Needham Cultural Council.

Burdett holds a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in music from Emmanuel College. She earned both her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in music education from Boston University. She has written many articles for the Massachusetts Music Educators Journal. She currently resides in Needham, Massachusetts