Puerto Rico education, public safety secretaries resign

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Two of Puerto Rico's most high-profile government officials are resigning following heavy criticism by residents of the U.S. territory over how they performed their jobs.

Education Secretary Julia Keleher, who was appointed in December 2016, stepped down on Monday. Public Safety Secretary Hector Pesquera, appointed in April 2017, is expected to resign by month's end.

Keleher ordered the closure of more than 400 schools as Puerto Rico continues to see a sharp drop in enrollment amid a 12-year recession.

Pesquera, a former FBI agent, was criticized for how he handled the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and the nearly 3,000 estimated deaths it caused.

Keleher was earning $250,000 a year and Pesquera $248,500 a year.