The third standard is “teacher importance.” BJU Press recognizes that a
subject is only as good as the teachers
who teach it—whether they are in a classroom or a home. Therefore, each textbook
is intentionally structured to make it
teacher friendly. As textbooks have been
revised, BJU Press has made a real effort
to be sensitive to the needs of homeschool
teachers as well. For instance, the newer
versions of science textbooks now offer
alternatives for lab activities, which can
be carried out in a homeschool setting.
BJU Press also offers homeschool
friendly video content from kindergarten
through grade twelve via its distance-learning courses. Qualified, award-winning teachers cover the material via
DVD and hard drive.
Furthermore, the authors of the textbooks are personally available to homeschooling parents via the company’s free
customer service number. For instance, if a
parent is having trouble explaining a
concept in the Algebra 2 text, they can call
BJU Press’s 800 number and say, “Help! I
have no idea what I am doing!” and the
representative can usually connect the
caller directly to the author, who can
provide assistance. “I don’t know any other
textbook companies that are offering that,”
Steve points out.
This focus on customer service even
comes through in the company’s considerations as it makes decisions about new
editions of their resources. While they
strive to stay current and continually turn
out better products, they also recognize
that constant revisions can be a financial
drain on parents. “We don’t want to force
our customers to buy books every two
years just because we rearrange our
content. Therefore, we only revise when
it’s legitimate to do a revision.” Steve
adds, “We want to be responsive to our
market.”
Another way BJU Press seeks to meet
the needs of their homeschool customers is
to offer a free quarterly publication called
Homeschool Helper. While the publication does offer information on new products and tips for using their textbooks, the
eight-page document is also full of ideas
and encouragement for busy homeschooling parents.
Textbooks are not the only product for
teens that BJU Press offers. As students
get older and become more proficient
It is obvious that whether through
textbooks or trade books, BJU Press
is dedicated to reaching their homeschool
customers and providing whatever
products and services are necessary to
make homeschooling teens a peaceful
and pleasant process.
