▁Feld man ' s ▁presiden cy , ▁A FT ▁attempted ▁to ▁expand ▁its ▁organ izing ▁capacity , ▁build ▁state - level ▁capacity ▁to ▁service ▁existing ▁units ▁and ▁organ ize ▁new ▁ones , ▁and ▁work ▁with ▁the ▁John ▁S ween ey ▁administration ▁at ▁the ▁A FL - C IO ▁to ▁re inv ig or ate ▁the ▁labor ▁movement . ▁ ▁In ▁many ▁ways , ▁Feld man ▁saw ▁her ▁presiden cy ▁as ▁one ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁legacy ▁of ▁Al ▁Sh ank er ▁would ▁be ▁implemented ▁despite ▁his ▁death . ▁H ers ▁was ▁a ▁presiden cy ▁which ▁would ▁re inv ig or ate ▁rather ▁alter ▁the ▁A FT , ▁and ▁make ▁only ▁increment al ▁changes ▁to ▁A FT ▁programs ▁and ▁policies . ▁Al ong ▁these ▁lines , ▁Feld man ▁re - emph as ized ▁the ▁A FT ' s ▁commit ment ▁to ▁educational ▁issues , ▁which ▁had ▁st umbled ▁after ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁staff ▁ret ire ments ▁and ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁the ▁union ' s ▁" L ess ons ▁for ▁Life : ▁Reading , ▁Results , ▁Res pect " ▁campaign ▁for ▁stronger ▁curr icul um ▁standards ▁and ▁better ▁school ▁discipline . ▁But ▁she ▁also ▁renew ed ▁the ▁union ' s ▁focus ▁on ▁organ izing , ▁which ▁had ▁l angu ished ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁Sh ank er ▁presiden cy . ▁During ▁her ▁ten ure , ▁the ▁A FT ▁grew ▁by ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 6 0 , 0 0 0 ▁new ▁members ▁( about ▁ 1 7 ▁percent ). ▁ ▁But ▁even ▁increment al