A: BECAUSE THEY CAN.
During the closing days of the Obama Administration, the U.S. Department of Education issued new regulations governing Part B of the “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act” (IDEA). The new “Equity in IDEA” regulations would “require[] states to identify districts with “significant disproportionality” in special education—that is, when districts identify, place in more restrictive settings, or discipline children from any racial or ethnic group at markedly higher rates than their peers.” https://insource.org/files/pages/0087-FACT%20SHEET%20Equity%20in%20IDEA%20%20US%20Department%20of%20Education.pdf
The Trump Administration resisted the new rules; however, after an unsuccessful court battle, the Trump Department of Education, starting in May 2019, required states to comply with the Equity in IDEA regulations.
Here is where the floodgates open: If, after a statistical analysis, a school district is found to have “significant disproportionality” (as described above), that district is required to set aside a portion of its IDEA money “to address factors contributing to the significant disproportionality.” And one of the ways it is allowed to do so is via “professional development”. https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/f/300.646
Equity in IDEA was birthed on the premise that significant disproportionality is the product of systemic racial bias, even without proof of racism on the part of educators. https://www.manhattan-institute.org/data-minority-students-special-ed-help-devos-rule-change Ergo, Equity in IDEA allows districts to use the money they must set aside to undo the supposedly racist system via professional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training.