Marilyn Howard

In 1960, Howard became a history and language arts teacher in Lewiston, Idaho. In 1988, she became the principal of the West Park Elementary School in Moscow, Idaho. In 1992, she became the supervisor of the Moscow school district's developmental preschool.[4]

In 1997, Howard announced that she would seek the Democratic nomination for Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction and defeated Wally Hedrick in the Democratic primary.[6][7] In the general election she defeated incumbent Republican Superintendent Anne C. Fox.[8] On January 29, 2002, she announced that she would seek reelection and won in the general election after defeating Republican nominee Tom Luna.[9][10]

In 2000, Howard was listed as the 26th most influential Idahoan.[11] In 2002, she was lsited as the 12th most influential Idahoan.[12] During her tenure she and Governor Dirk Kempthorne attempted to create a position in the state Department of Education to oversee the education of Native American students, but the Idaho Legislature voted against it. However, the position would be later created by Tom Luna in 2007.[13] In December 2006, she was criticized for distributing $120,098 in merit bonuses to 135 of her employees.[14]

On October 25, 2005, Howard announced that she would not seek reelection.[15] When she left office in 2007 she was the last member of the Democratic Party to hold statewide office in Idaho.[4]