Mayor Bill de Blasio is defending his plan for failing schools, saying it's already showing results, despite criticism from charter school advocates and Gov. Andrew Cuomo that the city is not doing enough. NY1’s Lindsey Christ filed the following report.

At Boys and Girls High School in Bedford Stuyvesant, Mayor Bill de Blasio told an 11th grade English class that he wants to make the struggling school worthy of its students.

The mayor's message to the media: his strategy for rescuing bad schools is already working.

“We know this school is turning around. I'm not minimizing some of the challenges we’re not minimizing some of the mistakes of the past. But we know right now in this school year it is turning around,” said de Blasio.

Boys and Girls, with a graduation rate below 50 percent, is just one of 94 failing schools the mayor has pledged to transform. But his $150 million overhaul plan has come under fire from some education advocates and charter school leaders, who say many of the schools should immediately close and be replaced, not given more resources and time. 

And now Cuomo says he's considering whether the state should take over failing schools and allow non-profit organizations or charter schools to run them.

But Tuesday, the mayor and chancellor defended their plan and their ability to lead.

“It does not make sense for the state to play any additional role,” said de Blasio.

While Cuomo is pushing to make it easier to remove low performing teachers, de Blasio has always been an ally to the teachers union. Now the mayor says he is willing to remove educators who aren't cutting it.

“Teachers who are good teachers but don't fit the needs here can go elsewhere. Teachers who should not be in the profession, will be moved out of the profession,” said de Blasio.

“We need to make sure that only the best teachers stay in the system,” said Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña.

The chancellor says she's already replaced seven of the principals at the 94 struggling schools. 

“And that number will continue to grow,” she said.

Schools that don't improve after three years are also on notice.

“We will not hesitate to close them,” said the mayor.

But the mayor doesn't think he'll have to, he says he expects to fix all 94 struggling schools first.