A new exclusive NY1-Marist College poll shows New Yorkers are giving Mayor Michael Bloomberg better marks on education than they have in months, but there are still many who disapprove of the job he's doing in the classroom. NY1's Grace Rauh filed the following report.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has tried to fashion himself as the "education mayor," but New Yorkers have mixed feelings when it comes to the mayor's leadership of the city's vast public school system.

According to an exclusive NY1/Marist College poll, 41 percent of New York City voters approve of the mayor's handling of the city's schools, while 48 percent disapprove.

That's an improvement from a March poll, when just 27 percent of voters gave the mayor a passing grade and 65 percent expressed dissatisfaction.

Still, the mayor is falling far short of his 2009 marks, when 53 percent city voters approved of his education record and 38 percent did not.

"This has been obviously a centerpiece of his administration and what he was trying to do," says NY1/Marist College pollster Lee Miringoff.

The recent upward trend is a sign that the mayor may be putting the controversial hiring of former Schools Chancellor Cathie Black behind him.

Black, a magazine executive with virtually no educational experience, stepped down in April after three months on the job. Dennis Walcott, a top education official at City Hall, replaced her.

According to the latest poll, 3 percent of New Yorkers say Walcott is doing an excellent job and 28 percent say he is doing a good job.

A more sizable portion -- 38 percent -- give the chancellor fair marks and 9 percent give him a poor grade.

Another 22 percent are unsure or have never heard of him.

Those ratings are an improvement over a NY1/Marist College poll conducted earlier this month.

"People are still waiting and seeing and forming their opinions, but perhaps we are seeing the signs that maybe he is at least being a little bit more positively seen than he was when he first started the job as chancellor," says Miringoff.

One area where there has been little change is the way New Yorkers view the public schools in their own neighborhood. Forty-three percent say they are excellent or good. Fair ratings come form 30 percent and 18 percent give them a poor rating.