Legendary Teacher Day

Legendary Teacher Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of September. Our next Legendary Teacher Day will be Thursday, September 26, 2024.

The Beginning

This day of tribute to teachers was established in 2014 by Nicholas I. Clement, Ed. D. As a long time school administrator, he spent his career identifying, developing, and celebrating teachers in a variety of assignments. Over time, he established a successful recruiting and development effort with the Legendary Teacher in mind.

Following his retirement in 2013 as a long time school administrator, Dr. Clement was appointed to the Ernest McFarland Citizen’s Chair in Education by the Dean of the College of Education at Northern Arizona University. In this endowed full-time faculty position, Dr. Clement is responsible for teaching and advocating for education throughout Arizona and the nation.

Parallel to his new career path, Dr. Clement published a book in tribute to the Legendary Teacher. Legendary Teacher Stories: How To Catch A Swamp Frog is a heartfelt tribute, dedicated to the teachers who “Nic” was influenced by and honors others who have supported him professionally.

In support of the book release, “Nic” was successful in having Mayor Jonathan Rothschild of Tucson sign a Mayoral Proclamation for the very first Legendary Teacher Day on September 24, 2014. Since then, municipalities and school districts across eight states have marked this day of tribute for teachers everywhere.