We live in Springfield, IL and I am semi-retired.  I still help review schools in the county and for the NCA/CITA,..North Central ASSN.  I work as an Educational Consultant independently and contract with the Regional Office of Education and other entities.  We review all the Sangamon County public schools.  I do not work every day, however.

When I left Shelbyville after 24 years of teaching and 3 years of being Main St. School principal, I became a Superintendent of Schools at Edgar County CUSD #6 in Chrisman, IL.  I was there for many years as their school leader and loved it.  I was drawn to another superintendency near Springfield at Tri-City.  I was the superintendent of schools there for five years and retired.  I then got a call from Edinburg, a small school system near Taylorville.  They needed an interim supt. while they searched for a superintendent.  I helped them as interim for the month of July and they hired a young man.  He left them "high and dry" for another job.  Edinburg asked me to stay on as interim supt. for the year and I did that and enjoyed it.  I then have done educational consulting working for Siemens Building Technologies, teaching educational administration classes to aspiring principals at UIS, consulting work on my own, and for the ROE.  I am also an adjunct chaplain (volunteer) at Memorial Medical Center here.  I visit in 6G Cardiac with patients.  Plus, I am a full-time grandparent for Heidi's girl, Lilly (age 6).  My wife, Cathy, just retired from teaching at New Berlin HS and teaches 45 piano students in our home.  My daughter, Heidi, is a counselor at TRS and Erik, our son, is a computer/copy systems technician for Watts.  Both of them live near us in Springfield.  We are active here in our church, ushering at UIS for shows, and many other activities.  I still teach a few guitar lessons and I dress up as Cat-In-The-Hat and read Green Eggs and Ham for the Pre-Schools/Kgns here.  I also sometimes do Elvis impersonation just for fun.  We are really blessed to be here and I run into former students many times even over here.  I spent the largest time of life living in Shelbyville and consider it home.  We always loved it and still do!  It was great to hear from you.  Keep us informed, please.

I put my whole self into teaching and always believed in education.  You have to like kids to teach and teach effectively.  I truly believe that.

Your old teacher,

Les Hohenstein

If you would like to email Mr. Hohenstein, he can be reached at:  lhohenstein@insightbb.com