About Beacon

Michigan schools have access to an abundance of data, but turning that information into meaningful action can be challenging. Beacon partners with school and district leaders to make sense of what the data is revealing, identify clear priorities, and translate those insights into practical next steps. 

Together, we build thoughtful, sustainable improvement processes that strengthen decision-making and support meaningful outcomes for students and school communities.

Grounded in Experience

Founder Doug Greer's experience as a superintendent, Regional Center Director, and educational leader informs Beacon's practical, collaborative approach—combining data-informed decision-making, strategic planning, leadership support, and continuous improvement to help schools and districts move from insight to meaningful action.

Before founding Beacon Educational Coaching, Doug spent his career working within public education, where he developed firsthand experience navigating the opportunities and complexities that come with leading schools and systems. His work has spanned district leadership, school improvement, leadership coaching, data analytics, strategic planning, and collaborative problem-solving.

Doug's transition into consulting grew naturally from that experience. After leaving his role as Superintendent of Fennville Public Schools, he began supporting education organizations and leaders in new ways. His early consulting work included data analytics and accreditation support with the Michigan Association of Superintendents, recreating and analyzing data connected to the Reading Now Network, and providing educational leadership coaching and support to River Valley Public Schools. Walking by Faith and not by sight, doors seemed to open that were never pursued (family and friends may read more about this journey of faith). 

Those opportunities ultimately led Doug to reconnect with Ben Cronkright and begin collaborating with Elevate. What started with data analytics and improvement work developed into a broader partnership, including support for educational initiatives in Hawaii and leadership within North Dakota's FIRST school-improvement initiative.

Today, Doug brings the perspective of someone who has both led within education systems and worked alongside leaders as a coach, thought partner, and improvement partner. He understands that educational leaders rarely need more data for the sake of having more data. They need support making sense of what the information is telling them, identifying what matters most, and translating those insights into practical action.

That philosophy is at the heart of Beacon's work: listening before leading, building relationships before implementing solutions, and helping educational leaders create improvement processes that are thoughtful, collaborative, and sustainable over time.

In Partnership with Elevate

Beacon partners with Elevate, an education improvement and implementation support organization working alongside schools, systems, and education partners across diverse contexts.

The partnership is rooted in a shared commitment to thoughtful, relationship-centered improvement and a belief that meaningful change happens by working alongside education leaders—not simply delivering solutions to them. Together, Beacon and Elevate bring complementary experience in educational leadership, school improvement, implementation, data-informed decision-making, and strategic support.

Through this collaboration, Beacon contributes leadership and expertise to select Elevate initiatives, while also connecting to a broader network of education professionals with diverse areas of expertise. This partnership expands the capacity of both organizations to respond to complex challenges and provide tailored support that meets the unique needs of the schools, systems, and communities they serve.