Remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic DENVER - The unprecedented uncertainty whipped up by COVID-19 just weeks before the start of the school year is prompting an increasing number of parents to pursue what amounts to an academic side hustle — small-group “learning pods” that families hope will bring some stability amidst the chaos of a global pandemic.“I think it comes down to uncertainty — and I think the only certain thing is that last spring did not go well,” said Julie Simmons, a Boulder mom who administers the Boulder Valley School District Learning Pods Facebook page. “A lot of parents are really anxious about how to make the school year work.”That anxiety has only mounted as various school districts in the state devise.