Today we’d like to introduce you to Bob Safran.
Hi bob, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
MY EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND WHY I CREATED EGUMPP
My name is Bob Safran. I was born and spent my first 18 years in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I graduated from North Braddock (Scott) High School in 1962 and earned my degree from Indiana State Teachers College, now Indiana University of Pennsylvania, in 1966.
I am also known professionally as Bob – the Grammar Guy, a name I now use in educational outreach, social media, and public engagement.
You can also find my professional work and updates on:
LinkedIn: Bob Safran (EGUMPP / Safran Educational Foundation)
Facebook: Bob – the Grammar Guy
Educational and Publishing Experience
My professional career spans more than five decades and includes experience in education, publishing, nonprofit leadership, and career-school administration.
Three years as a public school teacher in Maryland and New Jersey.
Seven years in sales, marketing, and acquisitions with Science Research Associates (SRA), a college textbook publishing company owned by IBM.
Founder and President of Consolidated School of Business (CSB), a highly successful career school serving York and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, from 1982 through 2018.
Founder of Safran Publishing Company, established in 1992 to develop and publish grammar and writing instructional materials.
Founder of the Safran Educational Foundation, a nonprofit organization reestablished in 2025 to help address America’s reading and writing literacy crisis.
When CSB opened in 1982, it was a small secretarial school with only ten students. Over the years, it grew into two accredited five-acre campuses, each enrolling more than 200 students and authorized to award Associate Degrees.
I believe CSB was the only accredited career school in the country to offer students a complete tuition refund if they withdrew within the first 20 class days. As a result of our student-centered philosophy, we maintained exceptional student retention, graduation, and job-placement rates while achieving some of the lowest student-loan default rates in the career-school industry.
Why I Became Interested in Grammar Instruction
While working as an associate editor for SRA, I observed that secretaries and administrative assistants with strong editing and proofreading skills were consistently the first employees promoted. Their ability to communicate clearly and accurately gave them a significant advantage in the workplace.
When I founded my secretarial school, I wanted my graduates to have that same competitive advantage. I quickly learned that strong editing and proofreading skills require a solid understanding of grammar. In my own education at Saint William School in Bessemer Terrace, Pennsylvania, I learned grammar through sentence analysis and traditional diagramming techniques. That experience convinced me that students needed a structured and systematic way to master grammar.
What Is EGUMPP and Why I Created It
I am the creator of EGUMPP (English Grammar Usage Mechanics Punctuation Program), an interactive online learning system designed to teach students the fundamental skills needed for effective reading and writing.
EGUMPP is built on a structured, building-block approach that teaches students how words, phrases, clauses, and sentences work together to create clear written communication. The program combines grammar instruction, guided practice, mastery-based exercises, tutorials, assessments, and academic competition to help students develop lasting language skills.
I created EGUMPP because I repeatedly observed that students and adults who struggled with reading comprehension, writing, editing, and proofreading often lacked a solid understanding of grammar. Traditional grammar instruction had largely disappeared from many classrooms, leaving students without the tools needed to understand sentence structure and written communication.
My goal was to create a modern learning system that could teach grammar systematically while requiring minimal instructor involvement. I wanted students to be able to master grammar independently through a self-paced program that provided immediate feedback and opportunities for repeated practice.
The name EGUMPP stands for English Grammar Usage Mechanics Punctuation Program. I selected this name because traditional English instruction is organized into four essential areas:
Grammar — understanding sentence structure and parts of speech
Usage — learning correct word choice and expression
Mechanics — applying capitalization, spelling, and writing conventions
Punctuation — using punctuation correctly to clarify meaning
Together, these four components form the foundation of effective written communication.
How EGUMPP Evolved
1982–1992
I developed my own parts-of-speech grammar coding system and used it with paper-and-pencil exercises while creating a reference manual and workbook for my students.
1992
I founded Safran Publishing Company and published Business English Essentials: Points to Remember and Rules to Follow, along with two companion workbooks.
2003
A CD-ROM version of Business English Essentials was developed.
2009
A Microsoft Silverlight version was created and expanded to include a fourth module covering Mechanics. The program was renamed EGUMPP because it reflected the four core areas of English instruction: Grammar, Usage, Mechanics, and Punctuation.
2018
A modern HTML version of EGUMPP was completed, allowing it to run on all major browsers and devices including desktops, laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and mobile devices.
Today, EGUMPP includes interactive lessons, audio support, tutorial videos, mastery-based assessments, vocabulary development, and artificial intelligence enhancements designed to improve student learning outcomes.
How EGUMPP Has Been Class-Tested
EGUMPP has been tested and refined through classroom use, academic competitions, and independent student participation.
2010 – Hampton University Grammar Bee
Working with Tony Brown, the award-winning PBS journalist and former Dean of Journalism at Hampton University, we conducted a Jeopardy-style grammar competition called the Grammar Bee. The event received outstanding reviews from students, educators, and parents.
2011 – Arizona EGUMPP Grammar Bowl
The inaugural Arizona EGUMPP Grammar Bowl was hosted by Grand Canyon University. Participants included public, charter, private, parochial, and homeschool students ages 13–15.
2012 – Arizona EGUMPP Grammar Bowl
The second Arizona EGUMPP Grammar Bowl featured students in grades 8 and 9.
2016 – War of the Roses Grammar Bowl
The third major grammar competition was conducted in Central Pennsylvania. Students from Lancaster County (Red Rose City) competed against students from York County (White Rose City).
In addition to these events, numerous college students, high school students, homeschool students, and English Language Learners have successfully completed various versions of EGUMPP.
Safran Educational Foundation
In 2018, I founded the Safran Educational Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping solve America’s reading and writing literacy crisis.
Since closing Consolidated School of Business and moving to Arizona full-time, I have focused on enhancing EGUMPP with instructional videos, audio support, interactive tutorials, and artificial intelligence features. These improvements have transformed EGUMPP into a highly effective learning system designed to strengthen grammar, reading, and writing skills.
Today, students can become grammar literate in approximately 25–45 self-study hours through EGUMPP’s structured mastery-learning approach.
The Future of EGUMPP
I am now working with foundations, educational organizations, schools, and community partners interested in improving literacy outcomes across the United States. Through partnerships with the Safran Educational Foundation, schools can participate in EGUMPP classroom pilot programs funded by philanthropic organizations.
These pilots:
Require no changes to a school’s existing curriculum
Require minimal teacher involvement (one class period per week for 18 weeks)
Include a motivating academic competition component
Provide measurable reading and writing outcomes
Offer a low-burden implementation model
Help students develop essential grammar proficiency for academic and career success
Closing Statement
My mission is simple: to help students become stronger readers, better writers, and more effective communicators by restoring the grammar foundation that has largely disappeared from modern education.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a fabulous road for I have been truly blessed along the way
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
1. The three organizations CSB, SPC, and SEF are all education related 2. My 50 years involved in teaching and publishing has resulted in creating EGUMPP, an online grammar learning system that has been proven to improve students’ reading and writing skills.
What makes you happy?
Helping students improve their lives with improved skills
Pricing:
- EGUMPP – low cost and high proficiency
Contact Info:
- Website: https://egumpp.com
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/egumppgrammar
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/bob-safran
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@egumpp4310
