There's a lot of bad blood banging around the NRA instructor pools for the new Carry Guard program, but personally, as an NRA instructor myself, I'm glad to see the new program. While it might never deserve the recognition as a program as Gunsite or FrontSite or Uncle Mas, it's still promises to be a much more relevant program than any of the "traditional" courses.
The BoPS, PPITH/OTH, and DP courses from the NRA are incredibly basic, and incorporate a VERY limited segment for live fire. If the Carry Guard training delivers on what it is claiming, it will be a major advancement for the NRA portfolio.
I will say, I'm sad to see the First Steps courses be discontinued, although I'm not entirely certain I believe I like the fact they're letting us morph the BoPS course into a First-steps-esque program, and not include revolvers if the students all have pistols. Maybe I'm just a hold out, and I think the basics course should include all types, as always.
Of course, one thing which I personally believe is a driving force behind many of the complaints by NRA instructors, is the fact we're all eligible to APPLY to be instructors for NRA-CG. Not many of us will be selected to be instructors, and that rubs the wrong way some instructors who know they'll never make the cut. I don't ever expect to be slated as an NRA Carry Guard instructor, but I'm content to do a couple NRA BoPS courses a year and do as many CC and DP courses as I can fill, plus non-NRA courses and coaching I offer. If they decide that'll earn me a spot as a Carry Guard instructor, then fine, if not, fine. I'm going to take one (or more) of the courses myself - I try to do at least one course each year. If the lesson plan and content all looks good, I'll keep putting myself in as an instructor candidate for NRA-CG.