In many ways, what leading Republicans are talking about is akin to the “compassionate conservatism” message that George W. Bush campaigned on in the 2000 election. Bush was broadly supportive of immigration—famously saying “family values do not stop at the Rio Grande”—but also used his record on education and support for faith-based initiatives, along with his strong relationship as governor with the Texas Latino community, to win 44 percent of the Hispanic vote that year.

Indeed, education was an underappreciated issue that helped win Bush more Hispanic support than any other recent GOP presidential nominee. Bush campaigned on his education reforms in Texas, frequently lamenting the “bigotry of low expectations” assumed for inner-city students. His first major legislation as president was the No Child Left Behind accountability bill, which passed with bipartisan support. These days, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush talks as much about education reform as immigration as he mulls over a presidential bid.

For Hispanic immigrants, education is an economic issue; it’s their ticket into the middle class. It’s no coincidence that in the Florida governor’s race, the state Republican Party has aired ads focused on GOP Gov. Rick Scott’s education record, including one with Spanish-speaking female teachers lauding the pay raises he secured. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky unveiled his education agenda at the Urban League on Friday, where he promoted charter schools, vouchers, and school choice. The successful transformation of the New Orleans school system, decimated by Hurricane Katrina and reformed from scratch, is likely to be a central pillar in Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s campaign message.