Pyle was previously a school teacher and president of her local community college district board.
Pyle grew up on a farm near Syracuse, New York, one of four children of Lawrence and Dorothy (Edwards) Halloran, dairy farmers who ran Gillie Brook Stables.
[1] [2] She graduated from Le Moyne College,[3] and later earned a master's degree in Educational Administration from the United States International University in San Diego.
[5][2] In 1995 and 2000, Pyle lost her initial bids for San Jose City Council, but would go onto finally win a seat in 2004.
[7][3] In March 2016, she received a "lifetime achievement award" from State Senator Jim Beall, who noted that she had campaigned door-to-door to gain support for a bond measure while serving as a San Jose-Evergreen Community College District trustee.