Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the mass layoffs at the Department of Education are the first step toward eliminating the agency. She confirmed that the decision follows President Donald Trump’s directive to shut down the department.

McMahon made the comments during an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham. She was asked whether the cuts were part of a “total shutdown” of the department. She responded, “Yes — actually, it is.”

The DOE laid off 1,315 employees on Tuesday. The terminations add to the 600 employees who accepted buyouts in recent weeks. The administration has also fired 63 probationary employees with less than a year of service.

McMahon said the layoffs are targeting bureaucratic waste. She insisted that the cuts will not affect funding for public education programs. She said the goal is to send more money to the states and reduce government control over education.

“What we did today was to take the first step of eliminating what I think is bureaucratic bloat,” McMahon said.

She dismissed criticism from teachers’ unions, who claim the administration is hurting students. She argued that removing federal bureaucracy will improve education and increase test scores.

McMahon said the Trump administration wants parents more involved in education. She believes local control will lead to better outcomes.

“Better education is closest to the kids … I think we’ll see our scores go up with our students when we can educate them with parental input as well,” she said.

The Department of Education is expected to continue downsizing in the coming months. McMahon said the administration will work with Congress to complete the full closure of the agency.