“The teacher is not a clerk” — Tsvetana Staneva on education, children and Burgas

It rarely happens: a candidate for a Member of Parliament who not only talks about education as a priority, but has lived it from within — in the classroom, among the children, with chalk in hand. Tsvetana Staneva is a primary school teacher, mother of two children and wife of the volleyball coach of "Neftohimik" Ivan Stanev. A month ago, she took the step from the pedagogical hall to the political stage and stood at No. 14 on the GERB–SDS list for Burgas. BurgasMedia asked her directly — for specific decisions, for young voters and for what she is doing on April 20 if she does not enter parliament.

Return the teacher to the children

When we ask Tsvetana Staneva what is one change she would seek immediately after taking office, the answer is without hesitation:

Behind these words are years in the system. The teacher in Bulgaria today spends a significant part of his working time filling out documents, protocols and reports — instead of in direct contact with the students. For Staneva, this is not just an organizational problem, but a systemic error with direct consequences for the quality of education.

The topic of funding completes the picture. Her position is nuanced:

It is this specificity — “not only more money, but a smarter distribution” — that distinguishes the candidate from the declarative educational promises with which we are accustomed before every vote.

Artificial intelligence is already in the classroom

Perhaps the most relevant topic in education today is the introduction of artificial intelligence. Tsvetana Staneva does not avoid the topic:

The position is categorical and pragmatic at the same time: neither panic nor denial — but regulation and adaptation. For a teacher working daily with children from the “smartphone generation”, this attitude is understandable.

Psychologist at school — not a luxury, but a necessity

Tsvetana Staneva holds a master's degree in child and adolescent psychology — an education that makes her particularly competent on the issue of psychological support in schools. Her answer is unequivocal:

Pedagogical psychologists in Bulgaria are a rarity — most work only in larger urban schools, while small and rural schools are completely without such support. Staneva not only formulates the problem, but also points out the specific mechanism: inclusion in the delegated budget, i.e. mandatory and systematic funding, and not through projects and donations.

“Your opinion also has weight”

Youth electoral apathy is a challenge for every democracy. How would Tsvetana Staneva talk to an 18-year-old from Burgas, skeptical of the elections?

The approach is characteristic of a pedagogue: not a lecture and not an appeal, but a dialogue. First — listening, then — an argument. It is this attitude that is the main difference between the candidate–teacher and the candidate–politician by birth.

Sports, children and legislative incentives

Tsvetana Staneva's family history is inseparable from sport. Almost 24 years with a volleyball legend like Ivan Stanev have left a mark on her understanding of the role of sport in society:

The specific proposal — tax breaks for businesses investing in sports — is rarely heard in regional election campaigns and shows thinking beyond declarations.

“Every child deserves a chance”

One of the most touching answers in the survey is Staneva's reaction to a hypothetical parental signal for a child with learning difficulties:

For people who have gone through the labyrinths of special education in Bulgaria, these words sound familiar — but also encouraging. They are heard from a mouth that knows the system from within.

The position, or the result?

When we ask the last provocative question — what she does on the morning of April 20, if she does not enter parliament — Tsvetana Staneva does not hesitate:

At the end of the conversation, she leaves one sentence — and it says everything:

The conversation with Tsvetana Staneva shows the profile of a candidate whose priorities stem from personal experience, not just from an election program. The topics of education, children and youth are not abstractions for her — they are everyday life. Whether these qualities will find a response among the citizens of Burgas will become clear on April 19, 2026.

The material was prepared within the framework of the election coverage of BurgasMedia. The editorial staff provides equal opportunities for the presentation of all candidates.