9 Reasons We Wish We Went To Eastland Academy With “The Facts Of Life” Girls

From: NewNowNext

9

Eastland Students Bond For Life

Most people lose touch after high school. Not Eastland students, though, who forge lifelong friendships (We know because there was a Facts of Life reunion movie in 2001.) Blair went on to buy Eastland and let boys attend (YAY!) before selling the school (BOO!). Tootie became a famous actress and talk show host (and a Real Housewife!). Jo works in law enforcement and Natalie became a TV news producer.An Eastland education will open many doors for you in life, but the greatest thing you’ll get from this school is a family.

9 Reasons We Wish We Went To Eastland Academy With “The Facts Of Life” Girls

From: NewNowNext

8

Eastland Women Change With The Times

“There’s a time you’ve got to go and show you’re growing, now you know about the facts of life…” It’s right there in the theme song. Life is all about growth and change. Times change, styles change, waistlines change. Hell, you come back from vacation and Cloris Leachman is your new mentor! Roll with it. Spice up your theme song with some synth beats and MORE HAIRSPRAY! It’s the Eastland way.

9 Reasons We Wish We Went To Eastland Academy With “The Facts Of Life” Girls

From: NewNowNext

7

Eastland Women Follow Their Hearts

Because we’re independent ladies of the ’80s, and we’re doing it for ourselves. Like When Tootie and Natalie moved into a studio apartment to work on acting and writing. Or when Mrs. G got married, joined the Peace Corps and moved to Africa—all on a whim. #Goals

9 Reasons We Wish We Went To Eastland Academy With “The Facts Of Life” Girls

From: NewNowNext

6

Eastland Women Travel The World

From Peekskill, New York to Paris, France; Eastland students get to broaden their horizons internationally. Remember when Natalie and Tootie helped an alcoholic writer sober up long enough to finish his article in the City of Love? Or when Blair and Jo got caught up in an Australian crime ring? You don’t get life experiences like that at Dalton.

9 Reasons We Wish We Went To Eastland Academy With “The Facts Of Life” Girls

From: NewNowNext

5

Job Placement

Well, at least for a lucky few. Who knew that the cleaning and cooking skills Blair, Jo, Natalie, and Tootie picked up working off demerits in the Eastland cafeteria would pay off with plum gigs at Edna’s Edibles and Over Our Heads? That’s nine years of work! In the modern job climate you’d be a fool not to be one of Mrs. Garrett’s girls.

9 Reasons We Wish We Went To Eastland Academy With “The Facts Of Life” Girls

From: NewNowNext

4

Eastland Women Celebrate Diversity

When Blair’s cousin Geri visited Eastland, history was made: Geri Jewell became the first person with cerebral palsy to have a recurring role on a prime time series. “Questions don’t hurt, ignorance does,” cousin Geri explains between zingers. Eastland was a safe space for us all.

9 Reasons We Wish We Went To Eastland Academy With “The Facts Of Life” Girls

From: NewNowNext

3

There’s Plenty Of Hairspray

Eastland Academy is rich in three things: wood paneling, bright young minds and hairspray. Lots of hairspray. Teased and feathered hair may actually be an enrollment requirement. It was one of the only constants in the ever-evolving show. If you need any, just ask Blair Warner.

9 Reasons We Wish We Went To Eastland Academy With “The Facts Of Life” Girls

From: NewNowNext

2

There’s A Great Support Staff

Girls, girls, GIRLS! What private school housemother would risk her job to keep four students enrolled after they faced expulsion for breaking curfew, grand theft auto and underage drinking? Mrs. G, that’s who. This woman has a heart as big as her bouffant.

9 Reasons We Wish We Went To Eastland Academy With “The Facts Of Life” Girls

From: NewNowNext

 We all agree that high school sucked, right? Cramming for tests, unduring gym class, raising your hand to go to the bathroom—totally lame. All of it.

If we could do it again… Well, we wouldn’t. But if we had to do it all again, we’d do it at Eastland Academy with the girls from The Facts of Life.

Who DIDN’T fantasize about bunking down with Blair, Jo, Natalie, and Tootie’s squad in the ’80s? They were modern young ladies, coming of age under the watchful eye (and bosom) of Edna Garrett.

 Mom and Dad, you really dropped the ball when you didn’t enroll us in that fictional all-girls high school.

We share nine reasons we wish we were Eastland girls.

1

No Basics

When The Facts of Life debuted in 1979, it originally followed seven girls at Eastland—which as we all know, is three too many. So Cindy, Susanne, Nancy, and Molly were expelled and replaced with Bronx tomboy Jo Polniaczek. Eastland only accepts the best and brightest—basic bitches need not apply. (Sorry Molly.)