In a stunning turn of events, the Washington Legislature looks like it will pass meaningful basic-education legislation. The House had passed a strong bill, but hopes for reform appeared to be in trouble in the Senate. On Wednesday, a broad alliance held a press conference aimed at reviving the effort to redefine and modernize “basic education.” On Thursday, the Senate got on board, passing a basic-education bill.

Also on board are the Washington Roundtable, businesses such as Microsoft and Laird Norton, the Parent Teacher Association, Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn, the state Board of Education, the League of Education Voters, the Technology Access Foundation and the Technology Alliance, Stand For Children and myriad school districts.

Not on board is the Washington Education Association (the state’s powerful teachers union), which is why legislation was in jeopardy. Gov. Chris Gregoire had indicated a willingness to kick some significant reforms down the road for yet another year. But the debate over basic education has been waged for three decades. There is consensus that the current formula is antiquated and falls short of the state’s paramount constitutional duty. Washington Learns, at the urging of the governor, has studied this. The joint task force of the Legislature has studied this.

The WEA’s response has been to call for more funding, but it isn’t that simple. Unless the money is tied more tightly to student outcomes and teacher performance, the public will balk. Furthermore, federal stimulus dollars would be difficult to secure without education reforms. The public and the Obama administration want to see results, which is entirely reasonable.

Everyone knows that the state will have to spend more on education and that it is in a budget bind. That’s why legislation would phase in reforms over the next decade. But by nailing down a definition of basic education and committing to a road map, the state can tap stimulus money now. The Obama administration is dangling $5 billion, but it has made it clear that states that are resistant to innovation and accountability won’t be able to compete for funding. That means endorsing performance-based pay and reforms on certification and evaluation of teachers. It means allowing the state to intercede at underperforming schools, which is currently prohibited under state law.

The WEA claims that federal money will disappear in two years and the state will be left in the lurch. The union misses the point that this stimulus package is tied to the administration’s long-term goals. This money should be viewed as an accelerator down a path the state will have to take anyway.

This journey is long overdue. We need to start it now.