The California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the California Association of Private School Organizations (CAPSO) face a challenge to be a united voice in the public arena. Since the position of director for governmental relations for CAPSO is currently held by the director of education for the California Catholic Conference (CCC), there is an obvious concern that the interests of the independent schools may not always coincide with the interests of the CCC. The political issue affecting these groups was a voucher initiative called the Coons-Sugarman Voucher. The CCC took a very careful stance of "no position." The rest of the CAPSO group was so divided that each member was left totally on his or her own. CAIS initially opposed the initiative, then strove to be both neutral and informative in tone. Although the initiative is a dead issue, it is imperative that independent schools develop a high communal degree of enlightened self-interest; only through state associations can this united self-interest find a voice. (Author/MLF)