This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Charlie Chieppo and Meredith Coolidge of DFER-MA interview Houston Independent School District, Superintendent Mike Miles. Mr. Miles reflects on his lifelong dedication to public service, starting as a soldier, then a diplomat, and later as an educational leader. He shares insights into his family background and formative experiences that shaped his commitment to serving the public. Miles discusses his time at West Point and how his service in the Army Ranger Battalion and as a Company Commander influenced his approach to leadership in large urban school districts. He delves into his diplomatic experiences in Poland and Russia during the Cold War, emphasizing the role of K-12 education in maintaining a free society and national security. Transitioning to his career in education, Mr. Miles talks about the challenges he faced as superintendent of the Harrison School District, Colorado Springs, and his urban district reform efforts in Dallas and Houston, Texas. Finally, Supt. Miles discusses the importance of urban education reform, the role of school choice, and the need to combat the chronic underperformance and despair affecting young people in American cities.