I am one of them. I have no illusions about what we do and how we do it; however, we do educate students. A student in my course leaves knowing more on the last day than they did on the first day. Is it a quality education? Define quality. Much of the criticism related to governance and enrollment is warranted. There is no question we should invest much more in students and instruction than we have and now do. It cannot be defended. I hope the reputation can be improved. Our academics were never intended to compete with elite private and public institutions. We were purposed as a viable (and accredited) alternative to students who could not attend one of those institutions but who needed or wanted more education and in many cases were first generation college students in their families. I use the same text books and resources and have the same syllabus as my local "elite" state university. There are differences such as seat time, amenities, and instructional investment; however, the level of individual academic support we give students, is at least as much as a traditional student receives. At my campus we provide tutoring and mentoring at no additional cost plus frequent no-cost workshops on topics like math and stats. Many students would have failed or dropped out without this support, especially if matriculated at a traditional institution (even community college) where there are few remedial resources and very limited direct one-one, face-face, support for marginal students. Comparing us with traditional institutions is unfair and continuous assault on our reputation is harmful to the thousands of students, faculty, administrators, and support staff who have conscientiously matriculated and worked at Phoenix. By now everyone knows the history and the issues, so write something positive about students and instructors who remain committed to student development and education.
Good post from @ZvRIOAa-9mcc.