Teachers in the U.S. work longer hours and spend more time during the school day teaching than teachers in other parts of the world. And while the majority are satisfied with their jobs, only a fraction believes American society values their profession.

The topline findings of the Teaching and Learning International Survey, an international study published Wednesday by the National Center for Education Statistics, showcase the grievances at the heart of the wave of educator unrest that’s prompted strikes, protests and walkouts in nearly a dozen states and school districts across the U.S.

“They are working a lot of hours, relatively speaking,” Peggy Carr, associate commissioner for assessment at NCES, the Department of Education’s data arm, said. “They do spend a lot of hours teaching. I think we need to think about that and what that means. Teachers love their jobs all across the globe, but our teachers, not unlike teachers elsewhere, feel as though we don’t value their profession. There’s a message there I think we need to think about.”

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