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Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean (center) greets a supporter during a California Tea

Former Vermont governor and presidential candidate Howard Dean put his liberal credentials on display Sunday afternoon in an address to the California Teacher’s Association.

“Let me start by saying the only chance this party has of changing presidents is to act like Democrats and start standing up for what we believe in again,” Dean said in his speech delivered at the CTA State Council meeting held at the Sheraton Gateway hotel near LAX.

Dean, who worked as a doctor before entering politics, is perhaps best known outside of his home state for publicly opposing the war in Iraq, and being the first governor to sign a law legalizing same-sex civil unions.

Dean’s speech touched on foreign policy – he charged the administration with “losing the respect of many nations” – but he focused on domestic issues like education, health care and taxes.

Many educators in the audience broke into applause multiple times during his address. Not only did Dean evidently share many political views with CTA members, but he has some common experience with teachers, having taught eighth grade social studies for eight months.

Dean received a standing ovation after Wayne Johnson, president of the CTA, introduced him as “the only candidate to oppose the No Child Left Behind legislation.”

The Bush-supported legislation, designed as a measure to increase accountability at public schools, passed Congress with support of both parties in 2001.

However, Dean and some educators have criticized the legislation as an unfunded mandate that sets unreasonably high standards, which they fear will erode the public’s confidence in public schools.

“That opens the door for the voucher system,” Dean said.

Dean, who declared “we are not going to win by being Bush-lite,” did not limit his criticism of the president to education policy.

Summarizing his ideas, Dean said, “I disagree with President Bush on virtually every policy I can think of.”

Major policies besides education discussed in Dean’s speech included taxes – Dean said Bush’s tax cuts should be reversed – and health care, as Dean said the United States should have a national health insurance system.

Dean also emphasized his support for affirmative action, calling Bush’s description of the University of Michigan’s admissions policy as quotas “despicable,” and voiced support for abortion and gay rights.

Dean is not considered a front-runner for the Democratic nomination by many pundits, and in a second address to supporters, Dean characterized his efforts as an “insurgency campaign.”

Though running as an underdog, Dean’s message resonated with many CTA members.

“He got a lot of support. I thought he was really on the money on a lot of things,” said Judy Beinart, an eighth-grade physical education teacher at Jurupa Middle School in the Inland Empire.

“It’s nice to hear someone who doesn’t pander to the center,” said Eric Heins, who teaches the third grade at Wilcove Elementary in the east bay community of Pittsburgh.