Dan Unertl

Meet Dan

Veteran organizational leader and legal advocate for Wisconsin school districts and municipalities. 

Dan Unertl spent the first two decades of his career serving public schools as a teacher and school administrator in southeastern Wisconsin.  Dan taught high school English in the Milwaukee Public Schools and the Northshore.  In his final years in the classroom, he served as department chair and taught a balance of extraordinarily high achieving students and students who faced significant struggles.  Thereafter, he transitioned into school administration, with a desire to better serve students and their families.  

Dan found a home in one of Wisconsin’s five largest high schools.  He completed his J.D. while serving as a school administrator.  After several years in building leadership, Dan was named Assistant Superintendent for Operations & General Counsel.  In this capacity, he oversaw the Human Resources, Building and Grounds, and Information Technology departments for a district serving nearly 6500 students with just under 1000 employees.  

In 2019 he was named Superintendent.  In the years to follow, he led through a global pandemic, oversaw the completion of nearly one hundred million dollars in referendum projects, and overcame chronic operational funding challenges, in addition to experiencing the day-to-day challenges facing leaders everywhere.  After five successful years as superintendent, Dan oversaw an internal succession plan and joined the team at Attolles.  He is most proud of the fact that when he departed, student performance exceeded pre-pandemic levels.      

In late 2023, Dan successfully defended his dissertation entitled, “A Case Study on Teacher Perceptions of the Wisconsin State Educator Effectiveness Requirement: Mandates and Results.”  Even though thousands of public educators are statutorily required to participate in the Educator Effectiveness System, Dan’s research represents one of the only qualitative studies ever conducted.  Today, this innovative research helps him advise districts at the nexus of teacher coaching & supervision, and evaluation.       

Dan’s prior life in district leadership makes him uniquely equipped to assist clients in the areas of supervision and evaluation for learning, high-functioning school board relations, effective stakeholder communications, and strategic planning that delivers results—in addition to strictly legal matters such as sensitive employee issues, responding to complaints, and providing counsel on policy development, handbook language, and employee agreements.  Dan also specializes in advising clients in pupil discipline and expulsion matters, special education issues, and contractual matters. 

Dan is dedicated to finding creative solutions and has completed mediation training through the University of Wisconsin – Madison.  

Dan is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin and the Government Lawyers Division.

Education 

• Marquette University, Ph.D., 2024  
• Marquette University, J.D., 2016 
• University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, Master of Administrative Leadership, 2011 
• University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, Master of Education Professional Development, 2008
• University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, B.S., 2005