Celebrating 19 Years as Barrington’s Signature Magazine
Celebrating 19 Years as Barrington’s Signature Magazine
Jeff Doles is a testament to the value of an education and its return on investment. The first in his family to graduate from college, Jeff’s students recognize and appreciate his exceptionalism—for his caring, encouragement, leadership, team building, and technical skills —yet on top of that, he lifts the people in his classroom to find their voice and express it, to collaborate, push their critical thinking skills, and foster a creative idea or vision. He’s training the filmmakers, music and documentary videographers, reporters, spokespersons, and newsmakers of tomorrow—voices shaping our world. Confidence gained and a lifelong love of learning are parting gifts to his graduates.
A native of the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago, Jeff attended Palatine High School where he played football. A foreshadowing in 1991-92, his team played against Barrington High whose team included Steve McWilliams, today’s BHS principal since 2008-09. It was in high school that his fine arts teacher, Dr. Craig Anderson, helped Jeff develop a creative aesthetic through the lens of a camera. Jeff attended Northern Illinois University (NIU) where he earned his undergraduate degree and a doctorate in Educational Technology, Research, and Assessment. His master’s is from Aurora University, an affiliate of NIU.
Family is important to Jeff, and he credits his mom, a multi-media painter, for her creative arts influence. You can see in Jeff’s work a dedication to the wider community that his dad exemplified. “He coached all of my soccer and baseball games and was always helping others,” Jeff said.
Wife Jill serves as the assistant principal in District 59, in Elk Grove Village. “She holds everything together,” Jeff proudly says. Jimmy, their son, is a freshman at NIU who is pursuing photography and has worked for minor league sports teams. Daughter Bella graduated from NIU with a degree in supply chain management. Once eligible at 23, she plans to become a commercial pilot.
After a few years teaching the fundamentals of fine art at District 300 schools, Jeff’s interest in video production took off when he created an end-of-year video for the Senior Breakfast. Fast-forward to an interview with Dr. Tom Leonard, then principal at BHS, who was looking for the ideal teacher to start a video program, and said he knew 10 minutes into the interview that it was Jeff.
The top lessons that Jeff (or “Doles” as his students call him) teaches are to jump in, make your mistakes now, discover what you enjoy learning, grow as an artist, do your best for your projects; know where you are going, have a plan, and change that plan if needed. His classrooms are stacked with students of all four grades at BHS which translates to on-the-job training for the older students.
Jeff has an extensive list of career honors, awards, and accolades. His student videos have won contests bringing superstars Rihanna and Brad Paisley to town. Media created in his 238 Studios classroom has netted over 5 million in charitable donations. But what seems to matter most is Jeff’s mission. “Media and technology are tools,” he said. “My focus is for a positive impact for students and those who view their work. It’s about positive branding of themselves and their peers, a way to lift them up.”
Barrington 220 is an incredible place to work, I am grateful to be supported by a dedicated administration, an amazing group of teachers, a generous community, and a hard-working, talented group of students. My heartfelt thanks go out to the Fine Arts Boosters, the Barrington 220 Educational Foundation, and Barrington CTE.
I was a BHS-TV Student from 2008-2012. Dr. Doles was instrumental in setting me up for success for a career in the video production industry…from filming BHS football to now roaming the NFL sidelines. Dr. Doles is the one I credit for my creative spark! He never told me no. He always empowered me to find a solution and a way to create what I wanted as an ambitious high schooler. I remember countless late nights or early mornings in the BHS-TV studio where Dr. Doles was side by side with me helping me edit and enabling my success…often sacrificing his family time to do so. It’s been a full circle moment as I have now been able to hire his son to help my production company in Chicago called Indoor Drone Tours & Athletic Content House. I can’t thank Dr. Doles enough for being a kind, genuine, and authentic teacher and human being.
I was a student of Dr. Doles for my entire high school career (2011-2015). I first met Dr. Doles (or, as we affectionately call him, “Doles”) when I was a freshman at BHS. In middle school I was interested in video editing and wanted to take video production in high school, but I’d accidentally signed up for BHS-TV instead. I was nervous and had no idea what I’d gotten myself into. Little did I know this “mistake” would become the highlight of my high school experience and launch my career in the media.
While others might’ve been inclined to stifle wild ideas from goofy teenagers, Doles fostered our creativity. He supported our ideas and encouraged us to try and bring them to life. Thanks to Doles and BHS-TV, I went to the White House under the Obama administration as a White House Film Festival honoree; met Rihanna as part of the group that created the winning video for her national “Shine Bright Like a Diamond” contest;
traveled to Springfield to meet legislators and talk about the importance of arts programs in public schools; and interviewed Blackhawks Stanley Cup Champion Brandon Saad.
Doles has created an environment where students leap years ahead of their peers in college and beyond. My career as an Emmy-nominated producer in Madison (WISC-TV) and Chicago (WGN) was built on the foundation Doles and BHS-TV laid for me. It takes a special person to run a special program like BHS-TV, and his students are lucky to have him.
I was hired from Deerfield H.S. to become the principal of Barrington H.S. in 2001. Deerfield and Highland Park high schools had excellent video production programs. Barrington did not. I was intent on changing that and needed a great teacher. I hired Jeff Doles. We gave him as many resources as we could, but Jeff was the perfect hire for the job. Jeff created a video production program that not only surpassed Deerfield/Highland Park, but truly became one of the best programs in the country. Jeff was one of my BEST hires ever. About 10 minutes into interviewing him, I knew we had found our person. From day one he has been a master teacher. He is also a tremendous human being. Jeff facilitated BHS and then the entire Barrington 220 School District’s ability to communicate widely in a modern, real, and at times humorous way. Whether an informative video on a sensitive issue, information on a referendum, a sports highlight video, or a funny snow day film—Jeff’s ability to guide his students, add input, and refine their work created an avenue that allowed the school district to connect with the community. Jeff’s quiet and humble nature has endeared him to many. He is a true gift to the Barrington community.
As one of Dr. Doles’s Senior Studio Leaders, I do a weekly TV segment for the high school program he created, “In The Know.” Students are encouraged to take creative risks, learn from real-world experiences, and grow through collaboration. The 238 Studios program he leads is one-of-a-kind. We work on professional-level projects in sports media, filmmaking, and broadcast news representing our school and the Barrington community.
Dr. Doles prepares students for life beyond high school with real job experience, industry-level knowledge, and the confidence to pursue careers in media and film. In addition to technical skills, we also gain valuable soft skills like leadership, teamwork, time management, and problem-solving. His classroom is more than a learning space, it’s a creative space where students build lasting friendships, navigate pressure, and find their voices. Being part of his program has not only shaped my future career path, but has helped me grow as a person.
I joined the class as a freshman as an elective, never imagining I’d end up in front of the camera. I was intimidated by the seniors who confidently talked about b-roll, live coverage, and production. I gained confidence and developed technical and leadership skills. By senior year, I had become one of those students I once looked up to.
I have worked alongside Jeff Doles for 20+ years, and he has been instrumental in capturing wonderful memories for so many in the Barrington community through either the lens of his camera or the lens of his students’ video cameras. For our football community, he and his students have done an amazing job capturing game footage and photographs to help preserve so many special memories that will last a lifetime. He is one-of-a-kind and we are truly blessed to have someone of his ability in our district.
Jeff is a talented, reflective, and passionate educator. His collaboration with the school, district, and wider community is unparalleled. For example, Jeff works to support students by photographing and taking videos of multiple athletic teams, fine arts events, and district projects. Jeff does all this while also working with his students to create a weekly BHS-TV broadcast for our students, keeping them updated on the many celebrations and upcoming events at the school. One of the things I admire about Jeff’s work is that the BHS-TV students seek to highlight clubs, groups, and events that don’t always get the spotlight! Jeff is truly student-centered and models how it is important to recognize groups both large and small within our school community.
Jeff is committed to life-long learning, continually and actively seeking opportunities to refine his teaching and artistic skills. He has recently attended workshops which allow him to stay current in industry practices and techniques. I greatly enjoy working with Jeff due to his professionalism, dedication, and passion for the arts, athletics, and our school community. You will find Jeff at almost every school event with his cameras, seeking to highlight the amazing things happening at BHS and sharing with the entire community!
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