When Dr. Jeffrey Collier became Superintendent of Saginaw ISD in Michigan, he faced a sobering reality: Despite serving 26,000 students across 12 local districts with 750 dedicated staff members, the district's story was being told by essentially one voice—his own. This case study explores how Saginaw ISD partnered with Apptegy to implement their innovative (and trademarked) "Our Story" initiative, a collective authorship model that has generated over 5,000 authentic stories and fundamentally shifted organizational culture.

The autumn air was crisp in Saginaw County, Michigan, as Dr. Jeffrey Collier walked through the halls of the Intermediate School District he now led. It was the fall of 2022, and Collier had already been at Saginaw’s helm for two years. As superintendent of one of the state's largest ISDs, serving everyone from birth to age 26 through both traditional and specialized programs, Collier carried the weight of representing an incredibly complex educational ecosystem. But something was missing from how the district communicated its impact.

"Without a story, our communities don't understand who we are," Collier reflects. "When we don't capture the story, we aren't sharing the joy and inspiration of what happens in the classroom every day."

The problem wasn't unique to Saginaw ISD, but its scale made it particularly acute. From Head Start programs to the Great Lakes Bay Early College, from special education centers to the Hartley Outdoor Education Center—countless "moments of awe" were happening daily. Yet, those moments were witnessed by 750 employees across the Saginaw County area, which spans more than 800 miles. Teachers were making breakthroughs with struggling students, custodians were brightening children's days with their warm greetings, and bus drivers were providing safe havens for kids who needed them most.

Yet, these stories weren't being told. No single leader or communications leader could cover so many across so many building, miles, and staff.

The Single-Point-of-Failure Problem

Traditional district communication had created what Collier called a "single-point-of-failure" system. The superintendent, plus his one-person communications team, bore the impossible burden of capturing and sharing the stories of an entire educational community. This approach suffered from several critical limitations:

Distance from the Action: Administrative leaders, by necessity, operated at 30,000 feet. They could see the big picture and strategic initiatives, but they missed the daily magic happening throughout their schools. Their limited perspective often caused whole departments, programs, and individual triumphs to go unnoticed and unshared.

Authenticity Gap: When stories were filtered through official channels, they often lost the genuine emotion and specific details that made them compelling. The human voice—the teacher's excitement, the student's breakthrough moment, the custodian's caring interaction—was sanitized out.

Scalability Crisis: According to research presented in SchoolCEO Magazine, 72% of teachers believe it's their responsibility to improve their district's reputation when speaking about the district, yet 45% of teachers report never receiving training on their district's brand and messaging priorities. This disconnect represented a massive untapped opportunity.

The Cultural Cost

The district’s struggle to share authentic stories came with a cultural cost, ultimately creating broader organizational problems. Staff members knew amazing things were happening, but they saw little public recognition. The district was struggling to convey to potential employees what makes their organization special. Families were making enrollment decisions based on incomplete pictures of the district's offerings. And perhaps most importantly, staff members were missing opportunities to celebrate each other's work and build the kind of positive culture that retains great educators.

The transformation began with a simple but profound question: What if everyone could be an author of the district's story?

The "Collective Authorship" Vision

In a conversation captured in a SchoolCEO podcast interview, Collier articulated the breakthrough thinking: "Sure, I can provide vision and delegate tasks because that's my job, but if I'm the sole author of our story—well, that's a pretty thin book."

This realization led to the development of what Saginaw ISD would call "collective authorship"—a framework that moved beyond traditional storytelling to empower every staff member as a contributor to the district's narrative.

The concept wasn't just about more communication, though; it was about fundamentally different communication. Instead of manufactured marketing messages, the district would share authentic, first-hand experiences from the people actually doing the work in classrooms, on buses, and at lunch. Instead of quarterly highlight reels, they would capture daily moments of excellence as they happened.

Building the Framework

Collier partnered with Coty Kuschinsky, bringing her on as Saginaw ISD’s Chief of Staff and Communications Supervisor. Kuschinsky's background in broadcast journalism and private sector communications provided a crucial perspective on how to scale authentic storytelling.

"I came from an organization with 12,000 employees globally," Kuschinsky explains. "They would never give access to every single employee like what we're doing. There had to be conversations about how to strategically do that. It's a big lift."

Together, they developed a framework grounded in several key principles:

Simplicity: The barrier to sharing had to be as low as possible. They settled on a goal of "one positive golden nugget" per day from staff members—not elaborate features, just authentic moments worth celebrating.

Authenticity: Rather than scripted messages, they wanted genuine voices sharing real experiences. "We want authenticity and we want to encourage agency of voice," Collier emphasizes.

Moderation: All posts would be moderated for appropriateness, but the goal was empowerment, not control. Staff needed to feel trusted and supported, not micromanaged.

Strategic Alignment: The stories shared would naturally connect to district goals around culture, communication, recruitment and community engagement.

One of the key tenets of “Our Story” is that it isn’t mandated. Kuschinsky explains, “Our Story is a tool in our staff's tool belts. This helps with authenticity, too, because we're not forcing anyone to participate. They tell their stories because they want to.”

The Technology Solution

To implement collective authorship at scale, Saginaw ISD needed a platform that could:

• Allow any staff member to easily share stories across multiple channels

• Maintain brand consistency while preserving authentic voices

• Provide moderation capabilities to ensure appropriate content

• Integrate seamlessly with existing communication workflows

They found their solution in Apptegy's ThrillShare platform, which enables staff to post photos, stories and updates that can simultaneously appear on the district website's Live Feed and across social media channels. The platform's mobile-first design means teachers can share moments as they happen, while built-in moderation tools ensure appropriate oversight.

Implementation Strategy

Saginaw ISD branded their collective authorship initiative as "Our Story"—a name that captures both the collaborative nature and the shared ownership of the district's narrative. The implementation followed a carefully designed progression:

Phase 1: Foundation Building 

The district developed comprehensive brand guidelines and a tiered certification system. Now, every new staff member receives training during their employee welcome orientation, learning the district’s expectations for positive storytelling and how to use Apptegy’splatform.

Phase 2: Training and CertificationSaginaw ISD created a badge system in partnership with Credly by Pearson, allowing staff to earn digital credentials. The Bronze Level certification required watching a simple 4-minute training video and understanding the platform basics. Higher levels recognized increased participation and storytelling skill development.

Phase 3: Culture Building Beyond just providing tools, the district worked to create a culture that valued and celebrated everyday stories. That meant regularly emphasizing that staff members don’t need to manufacture content—they simply need to notice and share the positive moments already happening around them.

Apptegy's Role in Success

Apptegy's platform provides several crucial capabilities that make collective authorship possible:

Unified Communication: Staff can post once and have their content appear across the district’s website and app via the Live Feed, Facebook, X/Twitter, and Instagram—eliminating the complexity of managing multiple platforms.

Brand Consistency: While preserving authentic voices, the platform ensures all posts maintain visual consistency with district branding guidelines.

Moderation Workflow: Every post goes through a review process before publication, giving Coty the ability to make minor edits for clarity or compliance while maintaining the author's authentic voice.

Mobile-First Design: Teachers and staff can capture and share moments in real-time using their smartphones, thus removing barriers to participation.

Analytics and Tracking: The district can monitor participation rates, story themes and engagement levels to continuously improve the program.

Overcoming Initial Resistance

The transition wasn't without challenges. Some staff members worried about saying the wrong thing or not being "good enough" writers. Others questioned whether their everyday experiences were worth sharing.

Kuschinsky addresses these concerns through what she calls "making a safe space." All authors are moderated users, and she positions herself as a safety net rather than a gatekeeper. "They now feel comfortable to email me and say, ‘Hey, I want to work on this’ or ‘I made a mistake here,’" she explains. "Having that comfort and knowing we have their back is key."

The district also emphasizes quantity over perfection, encouraging staff to share authentic moments rather than polished narratives. "We're still looking for best practices," Collier notes. "We're still growing and evolving this.” So when staff are hesitant, he responds by saying, “Just take a shot and share with us. Let's celebrate you. Because when we celebrate you, we celebrate all of us."

Quantifiable Results

Two years after launching "Our Story," the numbers tell their own compelling story—one of transformation:

• 269 unique authors contributing stories across the district

• 193 certified Bronze Badge Authors who completed the training program

• 52 certified Orange/Iron Badge Authors

• 21 certified Silver/Gold Badge Authors

• 3 certified Platinum/Diamond Badge Authors (Diamond is 500+ stories!)

• 5,030+ unique stories shared since January 2023

• According to survey data, authors who have told fifty plus stories are significantly more likely to feel recognized, appreciated, and connected to the organization’s mission. 

• Multiple communication channels unified under a single, easy-to-use platform

But the quantitative measures only scratch the surface of the program's impact.

Cultural Transformation

The most significant changes have been cultural. Staff members report feeling more connected to the broader district mission and more valued for their daily contributions. The act of looking for positive moments to share has created what researchers call a "happiness advantage"—training staff to notice and celebrate the good things happening around them.

“Monitoring our social media comments has become one of the most rewarding parts of my day, Kuschinsky says. “Watching our staff and stakeholders celebrate each other publicly has truly transformed our culture and climate.”“Monitoring our social media comments has become one of the most rewarding parts of my day,” Kuschinsky observes. “Watching our staff and stakeholders celebrate each other publicly has truly transformed our culture and climate.”

Strategic Goal Alignment

The Our Story initiative directly supports Saginaw ISD's key strategic objectives:

Organizational Culture & Climate: By encouraging staff to share positive moments, the district has created a feedback loop that reinforces the good work happening daily and builds collective efficacy.

Community Communication & Ambassadorship: With almost 300 staff members actively sharing stories, the district has transformed from having one spokesperson to having a small army of authentic ambassadors.

Talent Attraction & Retention: Prospective employees can now see authentic glimpses of what it's like to work at Saginaw ISD through the eyes of current staff members, providing a powerful recruitment tool.

Interdepartmental Collaboration: When a custodian shares a story about brightening a student's day, or when transportation staff highlight a driver's caring interaction, other departments see and celebrate that work, building cross-functional appreciation.

Ripple Effects

The program has created unexpected positive outcomes. Staff members report learning about programs and initiatives in other parts of the district they never knew existed. Parents and community members are seeing daily evidence of the care and dedication of district employees. And recruitment efforts now include authentic testimonials from current staff rather than just administrative messaging.

Perhaps most importantly, the initiative addresses what can only be described as the country’s increasingly negative perception of public education. National surveys show only 24% of Americans would give the nation's schools an A or B grade. And while perceptions at the local level are better with 48% giving their local schools an A or B—there’s still plenty of room for improvement. By flooding communication channels with authentic, positive stories, Saginaw ISD is helping strengthen the already-positive local perception while providing a counternarrative to national negativity. 

1. Scale Authentic Storytelling, Don't Manufacture It

The most powerful communication comes from the people actually doing the work, not from communications professionals trying to capture experiences secondhand. The role of communications staff shifts from creator to facilitator.

2. Remove Barriers, Don't Add Complexity

The ThrillShare platform's ability to post once and distribute everywhere was crucial to adoption. Any system that adds steps or complexity will fail to achieve widespread participation.

3. Trust Your People

When staff members feel trusted and supported, they will share appropriate, powerful stories. The key is providing clear guidelines and safety nets, not rigid control—nor mandates.

4. Connect Stories to Strategy

Random positive stories are nice; stories that connect to strategic goals create organizational momentum. Saginaw ISD's success comes from helping staff understand how their daily experiences relate to broader district objectives.

5. Culture Change Takes Time and Leadership Commitment

Collective authorship isn't just a communications strategy—it's a culture shift that requires sustained leadership commitment and ongoing investment in training and support.

For more information about Saginaw ISD's Our Story initiative, visit www.sisd.cc/page/our-story or explore their Live Feed at www.sisd.cc/live-feed to see collective authorship in action.