. ▁ ▁She ▁had ▁been ▁involved ▁in ▁early ▁negoti ations ▁over ▁additional ▁fund ing ▁for ▁the ▁independent ▁school , ▁and ▁Ocean ▁Hill - B row ns ville ▁principal ▁Rh ody ▁Mc Co y ▁alleg ed ▁that ▁Feld man ▁had ▁not ▁object ed ▁to ▁the ▁discipl inary ▁actions ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁they ▁were ▁made . ▁In ▁many ▁respect s , ▁Feld man ▁was ▁the ▁U FT ' s ▁point - person ▁on ▁the ▁ground ▁in ▁Ocean ▁Hill - B row ns ville . ▁But ▁she ▁was ▁in ▁a ▁difficult ▁personal ▁position . ▁She ▁was ▁writing ▁newspaper ▁op - eds ▁and ▁giving ▁statements ▁attack ing ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Civil ▁Libert ies ▁Union , ▁milit ant ▁black ▁teachers ▁opposed ▁to ▁the ▁U FT ' s ▁strik es , ▁and ▁minor ity ▁parents ' ▁groups — people ▁she ▁had ▁worked ▁closely ▁with ▁just ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁before . ▁Feld man ▁was ▁deeply ▁conflic ted ▁by ▁her ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁strik es , ▁and ▁hurt ▁by ▁accus ations ▁of ▁ra cial ▁ins ens itivity . ▁ ▁The ▁U FT ▁emer ged ▁from ▁the ▁crisis ▁more ▁powerful ▁than ▁ever , ▁and ▁Feld man ' s ▁hard ▁work , ▁good ▁political ▁judgment ▁and ▁calm ▁de mean or ▁won ▁her ▁w ides p read ▁pra ise ▁within ▁the ▁union . ▁ ▁Sh ank er ▁was ▁elected ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁A FT ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁but ▁retained ▁his ▁post ▁as ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁U FT . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁with ▁U FT ▁members ▁concerned