I never went to ATP, so I can only speak from observing numerous pilots whom did and whom I have flown with on rental checkouts, change of schools, etc.
From a positive, I can say that the pilots whom trained there are very flow oriented and very memorization based. Also they are extremely conservative in the style of flying. Not an unsafe or bad thing I guess.
But a C172 is just a C172 and not a twin or an RJ. I understand whole heartedly the rule of primacy concept and there is merit in it. The schools concept is based on getting someone to the right seat of a regional aircraft as soon as possible. Seems to work when the environment is good. But where this is hurting the students whom attend ATP, is when they try to get a job not at the regionals.
Giving flight training for example. The accelerated CFI program at ATP would not pass muster at my flight school. We look for safe, yet aggressive and experienced flight instructors whom know what an airplane and it's pilots are capable of. We do not teach fear (as in don't do a turning slip, because you will die or only do MCA at 5 to 10 degrees angle of bank due to the spin and die thing again). I think that the students only truly get their monies worth when they are getting a good overall education in aircraft control and capabilities versus flying protocols as an RJ would. But I could care less about teaching someone to get an airline job, whereas all atps does.
Dutch Rolls, Full Power take off attitude stalls (not 1800 rpms), turning stalls, delayed recovery stalls, cross control stalls, accelerated stalls, turning slips, and rudder use all seem foreign to students coming from all atps. But to the defense of all atps, the goal is not to be a pilot in small single engine aircraft or yet to teach in them. The goal is to get a job with a regional airline. To be very proficient in flows and checklists and procedures and memorizations (rote). What is lacking is correlation.
I think overall though, that much of the problems of ATP's reputation would be better served (as would the future students) if they had instuctors that were staying around for 2000 hours and not 200.
Honestly, there is a difference. Yes we all start somewhere, but it is through experience and the senior guys watching out for the junior ones, that the junior ones become experienced senior instructors (yeah, it sounds silly).
The market dictated the instuctors only "had" to stay 200 hours or so and were off to higher things. But I think this is what hurt the overall quality of instruction (on all levels). Maybe the downturn in the industry will help ATP retain instructors and thus increase instruction and customer service, maybe not.
But, the one thing that I will never get is the 8K penalty fee if someone wants to leave. That makes no sense to me. I know that several academy style schools do this (which does not make it right), but if a school has a good reputation and thinks that it is putting out a good product, why threaten with a fine if you want to say, go somewhere else, or take up basket weaving? Give the students their unspent monies back.
At my school, if you want your money on account back, just ask and ye shall receive. Change of mind or change of heart should not cost you. And if the school is really as good as it says it is, then what is the worry?
Why? I might not agree with everything he said. He does have more experiencecs than most of us. Therefore, I takes some weight for my considerations. 
