Howard joined the University of Nottingham as Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in February 2013. In January 2014 he became Director of Research in the School.

Prior to that he was Professor of Education in the Centre for Educational Research and Development at the University of Lincoln (2007-2013) and Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Leicester (2002-2007).

Before becoming a higher education teacher and researcher Howard worked for 15 years teaching in a comprehensive community college in Leicestershire. Whilst working as a teacher Howard was an active member of his teachers’ association and was President of the largest teachers’ association in Leicestershire.

He is co-convenor of the BELMAS Critical Educational Policy and Leadership Studies Research Interest Group and of the WERA research network ‘Researching families, communities and educators as education advocates’.

Howard is co-editor of Forum: for promoting 3-19 comprehensive education, the journal that was originally founded by Professor Brian Simon over 50 years ago. The journal continues to challenge the (re-emerging) orthodoxy of fixed ability thinking and practice, whilst also making the case for the democratic control of education and education as a public good. Howard is an Associate Editor of Professional Development in Education, and (in the dim and distant past) he was editor of Education Today and Tomorrow.

Howard blogs regularly for The Conversation and Education International.