The relationships between elementary education teachers and their students with disabilities, and the effect that these relationships may have on teachers' decisions about retention, were examined. Current research emphasizes desired student outcomes associated with positive relationships, while the present study addresses the effects these relationships have on teachers. Existing literature also shows that an increasing number of teachers are leaving the profession, many of them reporting high levels of stress and frustration in the classroom. Other studies have revealed many teachers reporting a lack of necessary skills, knowledge, or experience needed to effectively teach students with disabilities. To investigate the link between these issues, the present study surveyed elementary teachers in an urban charter school network to measure the quality of relationships between teachers and their students with disabilities using the "Student-Teacher Relationship Scale" (STRS, Pianta, 2001). Confirmatory, factor analysis was applied to reveal a 24-item scale with two subscales of Conflict and Closeness. Combined with questionnaire data, a binary logistic regression model showed that as the measure of conflict in the relationship increased, the odds of a teacher leaving a position also increased significantly. Findings signify the importance of understanding what contributes to reducing conflict in relationships with teachers, especially for those teachers with students with emotional disturbance included in their classrooms. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]