U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan yesterday spelled out details of a proposed new $5-billion competition focused on improving teacher quality. Among the changes the administration is seeking: higher teaching salaries, compensation tied to performance, and more selective and improved teaching colleges. The competition would focus on improving the quality of the existing teaching force and on better training and recruitment of future teachers. Some states already are enacting some of the changes the Education Department wants, such as awarding tenure based on teacher performance instead of primarily on seniority. The proposed contest was included in the budget proposal President Barack Obama sent to Congress on Monday.