The perspectives of general and special education teachers were gathered as they were experiencing the initial year of the return of students with moderate/severe disabilities to three rural neighborhood schools. Interviews were conducted to gather teachers’ perspectives at the beginning, middle and end of the school year. Themes that persisted across teachers and across time were identified and are illustrated through extensive teacher quotes. The teachers ’ perspectives of what was occurring as they attempted to include the students were compared/contrasted across the three schools, as well as to critical elements of successful inclusion identified in recent literature. Disparities between “what is” versus “what should be” in including students with moderate/ severe disabilities into neighborhood schools were discussed.
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