Editor, Gazette-Journal:

Some question achievement as a measure of success in school. Some say that our schools should not recognize high achievers because it can potentially “traumatize” students. Others say it does not matter what a student has achieved in school because they may pursue careers that do not require a college education. Separating students by their GPA, some say, does not help determine who is successful or not.

But who’s to say that academic achievement is a bad thing? It appears the Gloucester County school counselors think so. They want to eliminate valedictorian/salutatorian designations because they believe college admission officers don’t place a high value on such an academic ranking. It will also traumatize other students who rank below these designations. I would strongly disagree with this premise.

So, is the school system saying we should eliminate the recognition of achievement? I certainly hope not! Rewarding high achievers and r...