Since his first term in the White House, President Donald Trump has set his sights on shuttering the Department of Education. Now, as the administration has cut hundreds of millions of dollars in its funding and fired more than half of its workforce,

McMahon said the reductions are a “significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.” Critics say they are reckless and will lead to chaos and confusion.

Roughly 1,300 Education Department staffers received layoff notices Tuesday, a Trump administration official said.